Why Health Promotion?
As USPHS Commissioned Officers, we have the mission of health promotion and disease prevention for the American people. As public health professionals, Commissioned Corps officers should be leading the way in going beyond providing education on healthy behaviors to serving as real life examples of integrating healthy behaviors into everyday lives. Fifty percent of deaths and illness in the United States relate directly to unhealthy lifestylesprimarily poor diet, tobacco use, lack of physical activity, and unmanaged stress. As Commissioned Corps officers, we have made a decision to commit our careers to promoting and improving the public health of all Americans. We must also challenge ourselves to ensure that we garner the tremendous benefits of good health and healthy lifestyles. The wellness that results from embracing healthy behaviors can only enhance our ability to better meet our own professional and personal challenges.
