April 23, 2012

You may have heard of the recent passing of Dr. Lester Breslow, a major figure in the practice of public health. He was a former Public Health Director for California and Dean of the UCLA School of Public Health. In addition he was a long-time member of the County’s Public Health Commission.

Dr. Breslow was a tireless champion for the idea that prevention is key in promoting and protecting the public's health. His studies, showing that simple good health habits added many years to the average lifespan, galvanized efforts in public health departments and planted the seeds for many of the chronic disease and health promotion initiatives underway today.

At a time when public health efforts were primarily focused on communicable disease prevention and health protection, Dr. Breslow was researching the role of lifestyle health behaviors on health outcomes. While initially met with considerable skepticism, Dr. Breslow’s research showed that simple health habits increased length and quality of life. You will see some of Dr. Breslow’s "Seven Healthy Habits" in our health promotion programs and messages:

• Don't smoke.
• Drink moderately or don't drink at all.
• Get a good night's sleep of seven or eight hours.
• Eat breakfast every day.

Dr. Breslow’s groundbreaking work focusing on how people’s habits impact their health provided a foundation for the refinements in public health practice. Today we recognize that the conditions in which people live, work, play and learn, act as facilitators or barriers to the adoption and sustained practice of these healthy habits. In the end, these simple healthy habits have significantly impacted individual health and longevity, but we now know we also must attend to the underlying determinants that influence these behaviors.

Our Public Health mission is to protect health, prevent disease, and promote the health and well-being of everyone in Los Angeles County. For all the nearly 4,000 Public Health Ambassadors that make up our department, we recognize that we are not just handling case numbers, reports, or data; we are working hard to protect and improve the health of our children, mothers, fathers, grandparents, and neighbors.

As Public Health Ambassadors in our communities, we identify disparities in access to health care, healthy foods, and safe places to exercise and play. We advocate for personal change from habits that will ultimately cause long-term health problems, such as smoking, excessive alcohol use, and overeating. We encourage and provide support for those who choose to quit smoking, cut back on alcohol, and change their eating habits and physical activity.

Dr. Breslow’s healthy habits remain evergreen. I encourage you to remember his message of disease prevention—get regular exercise and sleep, avoid smoking, use alcohol moderately or not at all, maintain a normal weight, and eat a healthy diet. The following are some links to help you get started and achieve your goals.

Tobacco Control and Prevention Program: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/tob/

LA Quits: http://www.laquits.com/

Nutrition Program: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/nut/

Choose Health LA: http://www.choosehealthla.com/

Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health Program: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/physact/

Substance Abuse and Prevention Program: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/sapc/

Learn more about Dr. Lester Breslow: http://bit.ly/HN22wr