Health is defined by the World Health Organization as a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing. It is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Factors that affect health can be divided into many categories. The current paper explores these elements using a case study of diabetes. The analysis is provided in the context of health belief model as the preferred approach to behavioral change. Diabetes: A Brief Outline The term “diabetes” is used to describe a group of metabolic diseases characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood. The condition is mainly brought about by low or inadequate production of insulin in the body. It can also be caused by the failure of body cells to respond properly to insulin (Brown, Dougherty, Garcia, Kouzekanani & Hanis, 2002). There are two major types of diabetes. They include diabetes mellitus type 1 and diabetes mellitus type 2. The latter is also known as the “disease of affluent”. It is characterized by chronic and non-communicable diseases. Personal lifestyles and societal conditions associated with economic development are believed to be important risk factors associated with this condition. Obesity is a growing health concern in the world, especially due to its high prevalence rates among the youth. For example, between 2001 and 2009, cases of this condition among individuals aged below 20 years rose by 23% in the USA alone (Cash, 2014). Behavioral Change Programs Used in Overcoming Obesity Selected Model The health belief model was selected for the purposes of this study to deal with diabetes. It is a psychological framework used to identify, predict, and explain behavioral patterns related to health (Carpenter, 2010). It has 4 major constructs highlighting the perceived threat and the associated benefits. They include the following:  1. Perceived vulnerability.  2. Apparent severity.  3. Perceived benefits.  4. Perceived hurdles. The framework above was selected for a number of reasons. For example, it helps the target population to acknowledge the negative impacts of a given health condition (Marks, 2003). Behavioral change projects in relation to diabetes have progressed over the years. Today, they include a wide range of activities and approaches. Most of these interventions focus on the individual as the locus of change (Glanz, Rimer & Viswanath, 2008). Behaviors Contributing to the Diabetes Problem There are various individual behavioral elements that increase the risk of becoming diabetic or succumbing to the condition. They include, among others, unhealthy eating, lack of exercise, failure to take medication, and lack of problem solving skills (Cash, 2014). Other risk factors include lack of awareness and ignorance among the target population. It is important to address these issues to help deal with the health problem. Using Health Belief Model to Deal with Diabetes The model is made up of four interdependent elements as described below: Perceived vulnerability When using this model, individuals are made to realize that they can contract a given health condition if they fail to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The practitioner starts by first gauging the beliefs of the target population with regards to the