Improving Our Health

Some of the major causes of death in western societies are now associated with conditions such as obesity, heart disease and alcoholism. Improving public health requires a commitment to change the individual behaviours that underpin these lifestyle-related illnesses, alongside efforts to tackle the other factors that can negatively affect health.

This paper sets out some of the key challenges the Government faces in changing the public's health-related behaviour and examines the Government response. It then outlines whose behaviour we need to target by considering the impact of our environment, psychology and biological characteristics. Finally, a strategy is put forward for changing and maintaining desired health behaviours.