Today kicks off National Public Health Week which aims to put the spotlight on improvements that can be made to health in our country and communities around the nation.
Knox County Public Health Administrator Michele Gabriele tells Galesburg’s Morning News on WGIL that first it’s important to acknowledge areas that are ripe for improvement.
“A majority of Americans believe that we’re one of the healthiest countries in the world and truly we’re not,” Gabriele says. “We have a long way to go. We spend relatively low little on preventable medicine and we really could do a lot more to improve that.”
She adds that 50 percent of Americans suffer from a preventable chronic disease.
Director of Wellness Erin Olson says that the Galesburg area has become more accessible to everyday exercise in recent years.
“A lot of people just say it’s the youth with the computers and video games and all that,” Olson says. “But it spans across all ages. We’re getting a community here that’s more walkable, more bikable with some bike lanes going in. So that’s going to help tremendously.”
The Knox County Health Department is partnering with OSF Healthcare to tackle three key health priorities in the community over the next five years.
Those priorities include obesity, access to health care and access to mental health care.
