u s trends health up smoking down

U. S. Trends: Health up, smoking down

Health United States 2007

The good health news, just released by the United States Department of

Health and Human Services, contrasts in a very positive way with the

fear-raising in most media. I do not share the old saying in

journalism, bad news is good news. My fellow blogger against adverse

health worries, Sandy Szwarc, gives a quite detailed overview of the

report.

When reading mainstream news, we all may come to the false assumption

that the whole world is full of risk factors and that we get sicker

all the time. But, thanks to the new health report, we know that this

is just not true. Period.

I have looked at a number of graphs in the report, many health graphs

with an upward trend. The most important downward trend I have come

across is smoking. There is a steep decline in most age groups with

just one intermediate but not persistent peak in adolescents. I think