Opportunity is Often the Missing Ingredient
A person who is highly motivated to practice a healthy lifestyle and has well-developed skills to integrate these practices into his or her life can do a lot to create the opportunities necessary to make this a reality. However, sometimes a person’s life situation is so demanding, or his or her physical surroundings so limited, that creating the necessary opportunities is very difficult, even for a highly motivated and skilled person. Most people are moderately motivated and moderately skilled and need a little more support to make a behavior change, including convenient access to affordable, delicious, nutritious foods; safe and fun places to be physically active; smoke-free air to breathe at home, work, and play, exposure to supportive friends and family, and to a culture that values and re- wards good health; freedom from media, advertising, and other marketing influences that are peddling risky behaviors; time to devote to healthy endeavors that are difficult to integrate into daily routines; and sufficient protection from the stresses of finances, overly demanding work, abusive social situations, and safety threats to be able to focus on good health practices.