It is grant deadline time and as such I have been a bit out of touch with the world while I am in grant-writing mode. However, I submitted my application to the NIH yesterday, so now I can take a deep breath and tell you a little bit about what I’ve been thinking about. The passage below is taken from a section of my grant application titled, “Significance.”
Health-destructive behaviors are critical factors in the development, prevention, and treatment of a variety of the diseases that are the greatest threats to the health of the global population. A recent report from the World Health Organization concluded that, “The leading global risks for mortality in the world are high blood pressure (responsible for 13% of deaths globally), tobacco use (9%), high blood glucose (6%), physical inactivity (6%), and overweight and obesity (5%). These risks are responsible for raising the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancers.” Wow. This report from the WHO really floored me when I first read it. Can you really believe that high blood pressure leads to more death and disability than smoking? Can you believe that poor diet and lack of exercise are within the top five threats to the health of the world? This is impressive stuff folks - and to some, pretty discouraging news. That’s not exactly how I see it though. I feel optimistic and empowered by this report. Why? Because if the greatest threats to the health of the global population involve behavioral risk factors, then the solution to the problem is already in our hands and it must involve changing our behaviors. Now that doesn’t mean that solving these problems will be easy, but it does mean that we can do it. So, here’s to changing our behaviors and avoiding the greatest risks to our health and well being.Cheers,
Larry