United Way proclaims increasing the number of healthy children and adults are major area of emphasis

The United Way of America announced today that it will direct its giving emphasis to three areas in the coming year: high school dropout rate; working families struggling financially; and number of youths and adults considered healthy (Source: "United Way to Target Health, Education and Income," Washington Post, May 15, 2008).  In each area it is setting ambitious 10 year goals. 

The impetus for develolping these ambitious 10 year goals comes from the decline in its Common Good Index (Source: "Goals for the Common Good: Health," Live United, May 15, 2008) .  This Index tracks 12 indicators to assess conditions in the United States.  The Index uses 1998 as its baseline measure.  In 2006, the Index had fallen to 93.1, falling from a high of 100.6 in 2000.

According to the United Way of America, currently 66 percent of youths and adults lead unhealthy lives.  Unhealthy lives includes people who engage in unsafe sex, binge drinking, or drug use.  One of its health goals is that by 2018, the percentage of youth who are healthy and avoiding risky behaviors will increase from 34 percent in 2005 to 45 percent in 2018—that means 1.9 million more healthy young people.  Its other health goal is that the percentage of adults (age 18 and older) who are healthy and avoiding risky behaviors will increase from 35 percent in 2005 to 47 percent by 2018—that means 29.2 million more healthy adults.

According to its report, "achieving this goal requires us all to become more aware of health risks and the potential effects they have on ourselves and others, starting from before birth. Working to change policies and practices, such as by extending health care coverage, will also enable more people to live healthier lives."