Our system must promote healthy lifestyles. Promoting healthy lifestyles means paying greater attention to physical activity . It also means allotting greater attention to nutrition by encouraging people to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and cutting back on sugar. It means encouraging people to avoid toxins, like tobacco, excessive alcohol and illicit substances. And it means educating people so that they commit to responsible sexual behavior.
Oral health is also an important component of healthy lifestyles.
A Report of the Surgeon General was released in July 2000. It provides the latest information on effective strategies to minimize the impact of this number one cause of preventable deaths in the United States. It provides an overview of this public health issue that is so visible today. We must improve the mental health system. Mental health problems often relate to other serious health problems, including substance abuse and violence.