With the growing cost of medical care a great burden is put upon the world’s resources to treat and prevent chronic diseases. Primarily due to advances in medical science and an overwhelming number of poor life choices, chronic disease has become the world’s leading cause of death (Yach, 2004). Cardiovascular disease rose to become the leading chronic disease in 2002, with cancer; chronic respiratory disease; and diabetes following closely behind (Yach, 2004). Worldwide, these mostly preventable chronic diseases caused the deaths of 29 million people. The staggering burden on society due to lost productivity and rising healthcare costs leaves many nations clamoring to find a solution. 

One would think that a preventable chronic disease would be easily be extinguished through preventative measures such as educations and governmental policy. However, as billions are spent in the hopes of preventing chronic disease, barely a dent has been made in this growing global problem. This is due to a world of fearless smokers and binge eaters who want the government to bail them out after decades of poor life choices. Clearly the damage is done for the current aging generation, but there is hope for the next. For, educating youth on good life choices will lead to greater quality of life and better health. The hope is to reduce chronic disease through prevention, surveillance, and control.  

There is a great task ahead for chronic disease treatment and prevention. One generation requires acute and long-term care and another generation truly needs to understand the implications of poor life choices. The World Health Organization (WHO) has worked to set prevention, surveillance, and control measures to aid in the chronic disease crisis the world faces. Unfortunately, people will not change overnight. However, through social marketing and cognitive dissonance changes can occur in individual minds and hopefully cause them to make wise life choices.

Reference:

Yach. (20040. The Global Burden of Chronic Diseases,

            Overcoming Impediments to Prevention and Control

            JAMA. 291:2616-2622.