In the past few decades, research and science have begun to reveal what truly determines health. We now have a better understanding about the causes of many diseases as well as their connection with social, behavioral and environmental factors that can influence long-term health outcomes. For example, research shows that nearly four in ten deaths are linked to personal choice and social environments, including smoking, poor diet, alcohol and lack of physical activity.

Most people, even healthcare experts, believe prevention means things like routine check-ups and vaccines. But to Blue Sky Health, prevention is much broader and includes things like building walkable communities and parks and making sure fresh produce and other healthy foods are available in all neighborhoods at a competitive price, and ensuring that new laws about manufacturing and industry don’t adversely affect our health.

We can also improve our prevention efforts by strengthening our system of primary health care. International studies show that nations with less medical specialization and stronger primary healthcare have better health outcomes and lower medical costs. A system that emphasizes prevention would include an integrated network of medical and comprehensive services that offers a wide-range of resources for continuing care. For example, an obese adolescent working to lose weight could visit their primary physician and then coordinate further treatment with their school, community fitness, or local parks and recreation programs.

Our policies should be geared more toward investing in prevention and creating new ways to promote healthier lifestyles for individuals as well as entire communities rather than investing solely in treating disease.  This means changing our physical and social environments to support health behaviors and protect against adverse health exposures.  Making these types of investments early in life can have significant and dramatic changes upon the health of our communities.

Finally, we need to restructure our current health financing system so that it is more focused on improving social environments and quality of life. This includes creating ways to build financial incentives into the system so that doctors are more focused on prevention rather than only on the treatment of diseases, as is the case now. If we make sure that funding is focused on health improvement strategies that are long-term, we can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and the onset of many other serious health conditions later in life.