Health education programs represent a main strategy in health care activity. However many of these programs have failed due to the complexity of the issues involved. Theoretical and practical aspects and constraints are not fully considered and planned. It is not always easy to change the life style and behavior of a client just so that he remains healthy all his life (Whitehead, 2004). Systematic and concerted efforts are required to achieve success. Behavioral change education programs aimed at the community should be structured after critically examining the theoretical considerations and balancing them with practically achievable considerations (Whitehead, 2004).This is the balancing act. The effectiveness of health education programs depend greatly on their manner of delivery and the intention. Most nursing related programs are targeted on traditional behavioral changes (Whitehead, 2001). The main factor that must be kept in mind is that clients may not be in a situation to change their behavior or their mindset is not accepting such a change. Whatever the difficulties, nurses should continue attempting the programs by becoming more conversant with them and be more realistic about their approach. The term health education refers to the behavioral-focused medical or preventive health program interventions with the aim of avoiding or reducing illness. Nurses should not confuse this with health promotion activities which are broader in concept (Whitehead, 2004). The most sustained and concerted efforts to implement the detailed and focused education programs may thwart success (Norton, 1998). The reluctance of clients to receive new information is an accepted view. However we should never forget that there are several barriers to overcome. Hence clients should never be blamed for the failure of the program (Whitehead, 2004). It is always good to remember that conforming to your views and changing his health-damaging behavior is not going to give him absolute health (Cribb and Duncan, 2002). Clients have a habit of ignoring information even if they had been asking you for it. Usually they filter the information provided and accept only what validates their present behavior. Sometimes they misapply it ( Niven, 2000). Lack of information or misinformation also can prevent their accepting it. Dines (1994) has described the health education activity of nurses as ‘a constrained activity logically limited in its impact’. The ‘Law of Effect’ (Thorndike, 1989) is a landmark in the field of behavior modification. This theory says that the success of programs depends on the consequences. However it did not consider emotions and cognitions and the difficulties experienced practically. Cognitive theories came by in the 1970s. Later we learned that human decision making and behavior have several cognitive inconsistencies and biases (Taylor and Brown, 1988). The biases are the common ones due to irrational thought (Nisbet and Ross, 1985) and the psychological defense mechanisms like denial and repression (Russell, 1993). Summarizing, we should never expect decision making to be rational and objective. Health resistance is another problem. Repeated health messages sometimes irritate. Some people start resisting even before listening fully and resort to “anticipatory counter-