Abstract
In 1975, the U.S. Department of Health reported that more than half of the individuals in hospitals are there for self-induced reasons related to poor quality lifestyles: lack of exercise; excessive weight; tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse; and poor stress management (Beeler, 1987).
As many as one-third of the 500,000 deaths from cancer in the U.S. each year can be attributed to poor diet. Another third of cancer deaths - mostly lung, bladder, and pancreatic - are caused by cigarette smoking. Other cancers show links to excessive alcohol consumption (Weiss, 1992).
The U.S. Surgeon General, who analyzed factors contributing to the ten leading causes of premature death and disability in the U.S., says nearly 50 percent are related to unhealthy behavior (Wolford, Wolford & Allensworth, 1986).
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