Brandi Perry

HLTH 3000
Assignment 1

1. According to the Joint Committee, health promotion is any planned combination of

educational, political, environmental, regulatory, or organizational mechanisms that support
actions and conditions of living conducive to the health of individuals, groups, and
communities. In other words, there are several factors to consider when discussing the
promotion of health and the prevention of diseases. The basic goals of health promotion are to
help individuals and groups of people prevent the development and spread of communicable
diseases; develop lifestyle plans using nutrition, physical activity, and proper medical tests to
prevent non-communicable diseases relative to age, genetics, gender, social circumstances, and
environmental influences; and to help those individuals, that have already found that they are
suffering from illness, how to live with the illness or to use nutrition and physical activity to
potentially remove the disease from their life.
2. The ecological perspective, also referred to socio-ecological approach, is a part of the disease
model that describes the interaction of the different factors known to cause non-communicable
diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The different groups used to understand
why a person has developed an illness are:
-social circumstances- level of education, employment, where a person lives
-environmental conditions- toxins present, pollution, chemicals
-medical care- quality and accessibility
-behavioral choices- tobacco and alcohol use, sexual relations, exercise, nutrition
-genetics
When designing a plan for a patient/client, there are many factors to consider when deciding
what approach to take in treatment and lifestyle choices to utilize for the best results.
Understanding that there are genetics involved as well as behavioral choices (for example type
2 diabetes) that play a role in the development of certain diseases. When all areas of the socioecological model have been exhausted, there is a higher rate of success in preventing,
managing, and, potentially, removing the illness from the body.

3. Health promotion caught my attention when I realized there was a degree in the health field
that didnt require witnessing blood and guts or dealing with the administrative side of the
health field. When I became a massage therapist five and a half years ago, I knew I was doing
what I had been created to do. The human body has always intrigued me. Having the ability to
help a person heal their body using massage techniques has increased my desire for higher
education that involves using more natural options to increase the quality of life for people that
feel there is no hope for their individual circumstance. So many people feel that they must take
medications to help their ailments and that there are no alternatives in regards to their
treatment plan. This is what I want to focus on. People that have received less than spectacular
results about their health and may have been told there is only one option available to maintain
the level of wellness they are currently living with. These people will probably be suffering
from diabetes, a form of heart disease, obesity, and other such non-communicable diseases
that have accompanying drug therapies. Why am I drawn to sick people? There is a whole list
of diseases that run through my genetics. I have personally experienced treatment for a tumor
(which is no longer present) and have discovered that I am prone to high cholesterol. I do not
use medications for the high cholesterol, because I try to remain physically active by lifting
weights and participating in cardiovascular activities and monitor my nutrition to make certain I
am eating plenty of fiber from fruits and vegetables. With this lifestyle and the improvements I
have seen in my own health quality, I truly desire to help others see the potential they can
achieve in their health and wellness.