4.5: Wellness & Prevention

Promote wellness and prevent disease.

Other Information:

A large share—more than 75 percent—of U.S. spending for health care is related to people with one or more chronic diseases, even though fewer than 50 percent of Americans have a chronic condition. These conditions are expensive to manage and difficult to correct. Of particular concern is the current epidemic of childhood obesity, which is projected to increase the number of people who suffer from diabetes and other obesity-related chronic diseases. A recent Congressional Budget Office report estimated that if we could reduce obesity levels to where they were 20 years ago, we could reduce health care spending by 4 percent. By investing more in health education and wellness and disease prevention, we could improve people's lives and reduce their need for health care.

Stakeholder(s):

• Children

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

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