Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Encourages Commitment to Healthy Lifestyle for 2013

Wednesday, January 9, 2013  |  Contact: DHH Media and Communications; (225) 342-1532

BATON ROUGE --  As 2013 begins, many Louisianans commit to a New Year's Resolution, and many of these focus on health-related goals - working out regularly, eating better, losing weight, quitting smoking, etc.  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals wants to encourage residents to make a healthier lifestyle a lifelong commitment rather than a one-year resolution. 

"Many of us make resolutions each January, then don't follow through," said Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein. "New Year's Day is a great starting point for change, but that's only one day.  Making a commitment to own your own health is a fundamental lifestyle change, and there are small steps we can all take to get started. If you smoke, quit. If you don't exercise, start. If you eat too much unhealthy food, add more fruits and vegetables. Think about what you can do to get and stay healthy for life, and make that your ultimate resolution."

Public health officials encourage people to have a good support system in place as they try to make lifestyle changes, as this is an important factor in success.  Having people around you who encourage and challenge you to reach your goals are imperative in achieving them.

"Why do we cheer for our favorite teams when we're at the stadium?" said DHH Office of Public Health Assistant Secretary J.T. Lane. "First, we love to be at the game. But, most importantly, it motivates the players to do their absolute best and reach higher levels of performance. Following through on life commitments like a resolution to live healthier is no different. As your friends and loved ones try to eat well, exercise more or quit smoking, support them and cheer them on. It makes the difference between victory and falling short."

Another key factor is approaching health resolutions as small steps rather than big leaps, setting moderate goals that increase over time. For example, if you want to exercise regularly, don't begin by doing an hour-long, intense workout every day. Depending on your own personal health situation, start by committing to do a brisk walk or other moderate activity for 30 minutes three times a week, then build up after you master that.

"Changing your behaviors and unhealthy routines is hard work, so don't set yourself up to fail by starting with goals that are too big," Lane said. "Each time you succeed at achieving a smaller goal, the next, bigger goal will be easier to actually do."

And, physical goals require some mental conditioning to make them stick, say behavioral health practitioners. People should expect to encounter challenges along the road to adopting a healthier style, but should be prepared to move forward.

"A lot of people treat a temporary setback like a permanent failure, but you can mentally prepare yourself to address these situations and stick to your resolutions," said DHH Office of Behavioral Health Assistant Secretary Anthony Speier. "For example, if you've resolved to eat healthier but then someone brings a king cake to the office and you have two pieces, this doesn't mean you're done. Eat well the rest of that day, and get back on your diet tomorrow. Everyone indulges in unhealthy habits from time to time, but the key to adopting an overall healthy lifestyle is knowing how to move on from those small lapses." 

People should also be realistic about the changes they will have to make in other areas of their lives to achieve a healthy lifestyle, and be willing to put their health first. For example, if you plan to exercise for 30 minutes each day, that means you get half an hour less for some other activity.  "To stick with it, you need to remind yourself why being healthy is more important to you than watching a television show or checking Facebook, so you'll commit to those 30 minutes of exercise," Lane said.

Beyond just physical goals, make mental health a life-long goal, as reducing stress and anxiety will help people be more successful at adopting a healthier lifestyle. 

"The close correlation between physical well-being and mental well-being is evident, and finding balance between those two is paramount to succeeding and achieving your goals," Speier said. "Living well is important for preventing chronic diseases and conditions, but your mental health also gets a boost when you're taking better care of yourself."

For more health information you can use to form your 2013 goals, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov.  

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citizens. To learn more about DHH, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov. For up-to-date health information, news and emergency updates, follow DHH's blog, Twitter account and Facebook.

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