Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Simply knowing about health risks does not change behavior

Arya M. Sharma, MD
Conditions
June 6, 2013
Share
Tweet
Share

Exercise is good for you. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Stop smoking. Drink less alcohol. Such messages abound in public health campaigns and there is a firm belief that they will ultimately change behavior. This is based on the assumption that individuals are motivated to change behaviors to reduce their individual health risks.

While healthy individuals may understandably ignore such messages, one would certainly assume that people who already have conditions amenable to behavior change  (like diabetes, heart or respiratory disease) would perhaps be more motivated to mitigate their risk by living healthier.

This, according to a study just released by Statistics Canada, is not the case.  It seems that simply knowing about health risks does not change behavior.

In fact, the 12 years of longitudinal data from the Canadian National Population Health Survey among Canadians aged 50 or older shows that three in four smokers with respiratory disease do not quit smoking, most people with diabetes or heart disease will not become more physically active and virtually no one diagnosed with cancer, heart disease, diabetes or stroke will increase their intake of fruit and vegetables.

This does not bode well for public health promotion campaigns that simply appeal to Canadians to give up unhealthy behaviors to reduce their future risk of disease.

If even those who are most likely to immediately benefit from changing their lifestyles fail to live healthier, what is to be expected of those for whom such recommendations merely promise better health somewhere in the distant future? Or, if even already having the condition does not change behavior, why would we expect mere fear of developing the condition to be enough of a motivator?

The solution cannot be more drastic or broader messaging. One would assume that people with chronic diseases are already being provided a fair dose of health education and messaging from their health providers – certainly more than could ever be offered to the general public through broader health information campaigns.

As many experts in health promotion are well aware, knowledge and warnings are the least effective measures to change health behaviors. This is why many call for health policies that ban or restrict access to tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy foods as well as punitive measures, including taxation and fines or higher health premiums for those who persist.

However, such measures fail to acknowledge the key drivers – why people adopt unhealthy behaviors in the first place – and why these behaviors are so difficult to change.

Most people make decisions about what they eat based on taste, cost and convenience rather than on health benefits or health risks. Most people fail to exercise regularly because they either lack the time or simply do not enjoy being physically active. In certain social circles, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are an accepted part of cultural identity – a value that supersedes potential health risks.  And, let us not forget that food, nicotine and alcohol can all be used as coping strategies for a life that has its everyday stressors and challenges.

It is therefore not surprising that forward-thinking public health strategies (such as New Brunswick’s “Live Well – Be Well” strategy) focus considerable effort on promoting mental fitness and resilience rather than on simplistic messages around “healthy-active living.”

Research shows that a higher degree of mental fitness not only increases a person’s ability to efficiently respond to life’s challenges but also to effectively restore a state of balance, self-determination and positive change.

Resilience is strengthened by positive relationships, experiences and inner strengths such as values, skills and commitments. It is particularly fostered by addressing our needs for relatedness (a heightened sense of belonging in the workplace, schools, communities and homes), competency (building on existing individual strengths and capacity) and autonomy (self-determination of activities that will enhance health and well-being).

ADVERTISEMENT

Obviously, these determinants of health behaviors are far more difficult to legislate than simply banning or taxing unhealthy foods or imposing punitive levies on tobacco or alcohol. Indeed, fostering a societal discourse on the role of culture and values (including how we deal with poverty and social inequities) as a contributor to our health and well-being may well be beyond the scope of current public health initiatives.  In the end,  however, it will take more than warnings and by-laws to make us healthier.

Arya M. Sharma is a professor of medicine, University of Alberta, scientific director, Canadian Obesity Network. and an expert advisor, Evidence Network.  He blogs at Dr. Sharma’s Obesity Notes.

Prev

The BRCA mutation: Screening, breast and ovarian cancer prevention

June 6, 2013 Kevin 1
…
Next

When it comes to cancer, laughter and humor can humanize

June 6, 2013 Kevin 7
…

Tagged as: Obesity, Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The BRCA mutation: Screening, breast and ovarian cancer prevention
Next Post >
When it comes to cancer, laughter and humor can humanize

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Arya M. Sharma, MD

  • Charging passengers by the pound is unfair

    Arya M. Sharma, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Why weight loss advice may be unethical

    Arya M. Sharma, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Obesity is a sign of good health in some cultures

    Arya M. Sharma, MD

More in Conditions

  • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

    Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD
  • The emotional first responders of aesthetic medicine

    Sarah White, APRN
  • Why testosterone matters more than you think in women’s health

    Andrea Caamano, MD
  • How veteran health care is being transformed by tech and teamwork

    Deborah Lafer Scher
  • What Elon Musk and Diddy reveal about the price of power

    Osmund Agbo, MD
  • Understanding depression beyond biology: the power of therapy and meaning

    Maire Daugharty, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Decoding your medical bill: What those charges really mean

      Cheryl Spang | Finance
    • The emotional first responders of aesthetic medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • Why testosterone matters more than you think in women’s health

      Andrea Caamano, MD | Conditions
    • A mind to guide the machine: Why physicians must help shape artificial intelligence in medicine

      Shanice Spence-Miller, MD | Tech
    • How subjective likability practices undermine Canada’s health workforce recruitment and retention

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 7 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Decoding your medical bill: What those charges really mean

      Cheryl Spang | Finance
    • The emotional first responders of aesthetic medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • Why testosterone matters more than you think in women’s health

      Andrea Caamano, MD | Conditions
    • A mind to guide the machine: Why physicians must help shape artificial intelligence in medicine

      Shanice Spence-Miller, MD | Tech
    • How subjective likability practices undermine Canada’s health workforce recruitment and retention

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Simply knowing about health risks does not change behavior
7 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...