AMA & AMA Alliance Offer Good Health Tips: Adults

Begin the new millennium as a non-smoker, and stay that way - Unfortunately, none of the new technology or medical treatments that we anticipate will reduce the harm nicotine causes the human body. Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in America -- causing more than 400,000 deaths each year and resulting in an annual cost of more than $65 billion in direct medical costs. Every year, smoking kills more people than AIDS, alcohol, drug abuse, car crashes, murders, suicides, and fires combined.

Eat right and keep the pounds off. Your health depends on it - Obesity and lack of exercise are becoming serious health problems in this country and will become worse in 2000. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, 60 percent of American adults are not physically active on a regular basis - and 25 percent of them aren't active at all. A combination of good nutrition and good exercise can not only prevent obesity, but it can reduce the risk of a number of diseases. Most importantly, it reduces the risk of early death also. Talk to your physician about healthy eating habits and exercise.

Be a cautious Internet user -- We receive a great deal of information on the Internet - some of it is accurate - but much of it is not. When it comes to health information, your most trusted source is your physician. Talk to your doctor about any information you get from the Internet - especially information about medication, treatments or surgeries. The Internet can be a good information resource, but don't make a final decision on a health issue based on something you've read on a Web site. Here are some tips for Internet users: :