ODPHP Director

The recent White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health renewed national attention and inspired action to end hunger and reduce the prevalence of chronic disease in the United States by 2030. Realizing these goals requires a far-reaching, cross-sector mobilization of efforts: what the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health refers to as “a whole-of-government and whole-of-America approach” to these challenges. That charge acknowledges that the way forward is found across all sectors of society and through organizations collectively working to foster equity and eliminate disparities — especially in the areas of hunger, nutrition, physical activity, and chronic disease.

There’s widespread agreement that health care is not the principal driver of health. Rather, the conditions in the places where people live, work, and play — what many refer to as social determinants of health — have the greatest influence on our health. Organizational health literacy — the degree to which organizations equitably enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others — is one of those key social determinants.

Contemporary approaches to healthy living, with an increasing attentiveness to social determinants of health and the Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being, hold potential — even real promise — to provide us with longer and greater-quality lives, especially through our later years. Focusing and sustaining meaningful action in support of that potential — that promise — requires a broader perspective on healthy aging and an open and inclusive conversation on the subject.

New treatments and scientific breakthroughs that lead to cures characterize modern medicine. But as exciting and beneficial as many of these innovations are, none compares to the power of prevention. In addition to getting enough physical activity, ensuring healthy eating, and maintaining mental health, a fourth essential — and often overlooked — element in any comprehensive wellness strategy is keeping up with clinical preventive services.