don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Sometimes, health promoters assume too much.nbsp;Among other things, they/we fail to clarify major differences between one thing and another and the public stays confused or poorly informed about a key concept or idea. For example, I think the differences between prevention and wellness have been poorly communicated by health educators and others.

Consider this simple graphic. It depicts a variation on Jack Travis' historic continuum. It shows a range of health status from death/illness across an imaginary divide to plain vanilla wellness/REAL wellness. In the illustration, I added a few popular terms along the way from one extreme to the other. (See Travis' original model).

A Continuum From Prevention To REAL Wellness

Inasmuch as most people are overweight, unfit and fond of numerous dreadful habits that diminish health status, it's safe to conclude that wellness lifestyles are not the norm.

Why is this so, given the high costs, dangers and grim results of worseness?

To wellness enthusiasts, it seems that feeling good would be reason enough to invest time and energy and, if necessary, blood/sweat and even tears to pull it (a positive lifestyle) off. You would think everyone would want to be moving to the right side of the above continuum. Alas, not even basic healthy lifestyle patterns seem attractive or sustainable for most people. The price simply seems too high. The sacrifices are judged too great to endure, the barriers to realizing good health are set too high and the requisite exertions must appear too strenuous. In summary, the "costs" seem too great a "price to pay."

This might shock health educators and some physicians, but I think those with dreadful or mediocre lifestyles have been on the receiving end of too little wellness and too much prevention. Prevention does not appeal. It demands that people "give up" too much "good stuff." It offers few pleasures in return, save the absence of adverse consequences, eventually, at some time in the distant future. Reckless lifestylers don't want to hear this, so they manage to disregard such warnings. We need a massive shift toward the right side of the continuum.

If the health message were more about lifestyle pleasures joys, payoffs and fun rewards of wellness initiatives, including the crucible of exercise, well, that might make the critical difference. Unfortunately, exercise is one part of optimal health no messenger can sugarcoat: fitness does require hard labor, day after day—for life. Becoming and staying fit is hard work. Even for those who have all the advantages (genetic gifts, athletic predispositions, supportive cultures, the social and economic means to support exercise habits and so on). Imagine how intimidating exercise advice is for the unfit lacking any or all of these noted advantages. Prevention messages will rarely suffice.

Those fortunate few who have managed to experience the rewards of the wellness side of the continuum have a great advantage on the rest. They have gained sufficient pleasures from daily exercise routines, however vigorous, time-consuming and fatiguing, to fuel a desire to continue such practices.

Prevention summons up images of dread: The experts are reminding you about something that must be done for good health. You know it to be true, but the resistance is daunting. On the other hand, those addicted to the odd pleasures associated with strenuous exertions make the time for it. The positive payoff is worth the costs. That is another difference in prevention and REAL wellness.

With prevention, there is too little emotional connection with the payoffs of living well. The majority who do not exercise or choose healthy foods or follow any of the recommended practices most of the time find it difficult to feel what it's like to be exceptionally well. 

Here is a chart showing a few examples of three kinds of communications on the continuum from not-so-well (e.g., dead) to the heights (REAL wellness):

With prevention, the whole idea of a healthy lifestyle seems optional and a bit luxurious. Yes, it would be nice to lower exposure to one disease or another but, what the heck, such unpleasantries are surely years if not decades away. Reforms can always be made later. For now, praise the lord (e.g., onion rings) and pass the ammunition (dessert).

Prevention and traditional health education, which constitutes the menu at most so-called worksite wellness programs, has limited appeal. It is time to transition from medically-focused, left-brain warnings about the dangers of NOT choosing healthy lifestyles. Toward what? Toward right-brain feeling state connections between choices made daily and positive qualities available now. Including bust-your-buns exercise, or at least going for a good walk twice a day or the equivalent.

Maybe we should focus less on good health and more on a good life with a fit body. The good life, of course, starts with exceptional fitness. Vigorous daily exercise, every day. (OK, a day off now and then.)  We who promote REAL wellness are not the first to carry on in this fashion. I suspect REAL wellness messages boosted Aristotle's career as a best-selling Greek philosopher and media star of his day (384 BCE - 322 BCE). That's what got him out from under the wing of his domineering tutor, Professor Plato. Aristotle's message to HIS prize pupil, Alexander the Great, was that REAL wellness, meaning happiness, eudaimonia and personal development to the fullest, ensues from vigorous daily exercise AND service to others. Aristotle said little or nothing about NOT smoking, carousing, drinking too much, avoiding sloth or other prevention type things. His was not a "don't do this, don't do that" kind of message.

Wellness is not a state of being but a process or style of living. Again, this is an assertion not unique to REAL wellness promoters, but one that faux "wellness" promoters (i.e., those who serve up prevention and risk reduction-oriented health education at the worksite) should consider. The latter is cold and lifeless—not the stuff to stir the soul or animate the best possibilities within us. The eminent psychologist Carl Rogers said as much when he described a good life. He called a good life, wellness to us, "a direction, not a destination."

Of course, a feeling state for the experience of REAL wellness needs a proper context. We are not islands, as John Donne (1572-1631) noted. We're all pieces of the continent, parts of the main, involved in mankind. Try to go it alone with heroic individual efforts and bells may well toll for thee. Highly fit people need supportive, inspirational communities to get and stay that way. These might be family-based, sub-culture groups, associations and/or REAL wellness-oriented worksites with favorable life-supportive standards and customs.

In such REAL wellness environments, people know that regular vigorous exercise is expected, they feel they belong, they care about those around them and they feel respected and engaged in activities of value.

All of which, of course, are all elements on the right side of the continuum, REAL wellness ingredients for positive living—not prevention.

I hope this clarifies to some degree the differences between prevention and life enhancement. Choose REAL wellness—and be well. While you're at it, be sure to look on the bright side of life.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the MEANING DOMAIN under the skill area of applied wellness. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

 Send e-mail to Don Ardell