Why & How People Change Health Behaviors

Why and How People Change Health Behaviors is a collection of inspiring stories from individuals who have made successful lifestyle behavior changes and maintained them for a significant period of time. This book was compiled with the intent to provide motivation and insight, assisting those who want to change or who are currently attempting lifestyle change. Additionally, this book will serve as a source of hope and support for those who have experienced failures in the past. Most people who are not practicing healthy behaviors know they should change, and want to, but don't exactly know how. A significant amount of research has been conducted on behavior change theory and various models for behavior change have been developed. These models attempt to account for psychological, social, structural, and other important factors that predict behavior. In spite of this body of work, still nearly 67 percent of American adults are overweight or obese, 60 percent don't exercise, and surprising as it may be, still over 20 percent smoke. Why can't we change? In trying to answer this rhetorical question, we decided to take off our hats as scientists, researchers, and health promoters, and simply ask ordinary people who had made, and continued their positive health behavior changes to tell us how they did it. Several remarkable individuals generously opened their lives for us. These wonderful anecdotes explain how their behaviors started, what triggered their desire to change, and how they continue to be successful at maintaining their new lives. After reading their stories you will truly be inspired.