Family and Health Care "Chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer, have replaced

Family and Health Care

"Chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer, have replaced acute infectious illness as the leading causes of death in the United States," says Thomas L. Campbell, a physician specializing in family related medicine. Since most of these diseases cannot be cured, Campbell believes more emphasis must be placed on health promotion and disease prevention.

The way to do this is through the family, Campbell says in a report published by the National Council on Family Relations. "The family has a powerful influence on health beliefs and behaviors because it is the primary social agent in the promotion of health and well-being. Preventive health-care programs and policies must focus on the family and use it as an important resource in health promotion."

Campbell points to a number of observable connections between health and family:

The family is the primary setting in which attitudes and behaviors regarding diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug use are learned and maintained.

Unhealthy behaviors and genetic risk factors for diseases are frequently found within families, as family members tend to share not only genes, but diets, physical activities, and alcohol and tobacco use.

Chronic marital (婚姻的) distress and conflict can lead to acute and chronic health changes, such as rising blood pressure and heart rate and lowering immunity (免疫力) of cells. These physiological (生理上的) changes result in a wide range of diseases, especially heart disease and cancer.

Campbell believes that a number of measures be made within the health-care system to accommodate the influence of the family. For example, health education and preventive care should be targeted toward families as well as individuals and communities. Also, when a risk factor for a disease or condition is identified in one family member, all other family members should be tested.

Campbell also recommends that mental-health care be included in wellness programs and suggests that family professionals (therapists, sociologists, and family-life educators) become more actively involved in health promotion.

Campbell believes people should pay more attention to health promotion and disease prevention because most of these diseases

A．can hardly be cured.

B．can be cured gradually.

C．can cause many deaths.

D．can be cured only by specialists.