There is more information about health out there then ever before. Why, then, are so many of us unhealthy and out of shape? Given all that we now know, or could with a little effort, all of us should be the very picture of health. Sadly though, many of us know next to nothing about the human body and how to keep it working well. The resources are available and if people knew better how to access them and put the information to use, we'd all be better off.

Studies Indicate

Research would seem to indicate that health illiteracy is rampant in the majority of the American population. This would include nutrition,medicine and other healthcare related information. The research would suggest that either they are unable to effectively understand the information they have access to or they don't have enough health information to consistently maintain their fitness and health. One of the findings of research is that a large percentage of illness is due to the effects of insufficient management of beliefs, emotions, attitude, food, stress and environment.

Not participating in unhealthy behaviors would seem to be the quickest easiest way to consistent wellness. This assumes an individual is aware of harmful versus healthy behaviors. Without sufficient information being available and understood this isn't always the case. What we can draw from this is the fact that we need more anatomy and health information.

World Wide Web Research

So are Americans even trying to get better health information? It is unquestionably out there to be had. There are thousands upon thousands of web sites focusing on various aspects of the topic of health - and given that over half of U.S. households have internet access, most Americans already have a wealth of health and anatomy information literally at their fingertips.

These sites will often go the extra mile in their attempts to educate the public and present information in the form of animations and charts to make the workings of the human body easier for the layperson to grasp. Many of these sources draw from the same information used by medical students and professionals; why then are the members of a supposedly health obsessed nation by and large so ignorant of how the body works? It is because a lot of people are unaware of the presence of these sources - and being able to see these animations, etc. will lead to greater understanding of the human body and its proper maintenance and eventually, better health.

The central idea behind the endocrine system of the body and the hormones they release influence almost every cell, organ, and function of the body. An illustration of some of the basic concepts about how this system works and how it interacts with some of the other major systems of the body would only lead to a greater understanding of the body's operations. In today's rising rates of illness such an understanding would lead to better stress management and having a basic understanding of the endocrine system will assist in maintaining a healthy body.

In Closing

Gaining and keeping one's health is not that difficult of a matter. However, a basis of knowledge is required before one begins to try to achieve better health. You must understand how your body works, which will give you a grounding on what habits are good versus unhealthy for you, as well as when to engage in certain behaviors which can affect your health for good or for ill. An understanding of human anatomy and the inner workings of the body is essential, as is education on how to implement this information in the cause of achieving good health. The best way to be healthy is not curing disease, but not to become sick in the first place.