For those of you who have been focusing on the report of how people with a mental illness are dying 25 years earlier than the general population, an article that a friend of mine posted on facebook called Quantifying the Issue might be of some use to you. It spells out the facts about why it makes sense for a person to live a healthy lifestyle.

Some examples:

• Obesity has roughly the same association with chronic health conditions as 20 years of aging.
• An economic assessment found that a health care plan’s annual cost of covering treatment to help people quit smoking ranged from $0.89 to $4.92 per smoker, compared to the annual cost of treating smoking-related disease which ranges from $6 to $33 per smoker.
• Each smoker who successfully quits lowers the medical costs associated with heart attack and stroke by about $47 in the first year and $853 during the next seven years.

I found this article VERY helpful. Personally speaking, lately I’m focusing more and more not only on my mental health but on my physical health as well, so that I beat the statistics and live a healthier lifestyle than I’m accustomed to. I’m doing this for myself and my four children. Please join us at one of our monthly learning community meetings to get more information on mental/physical wellness.