Taking Personal Responsibility for Our Health: A Journey to Wellness

"If someone wishes for good health, one must first ask oneself if he is ready to do away with the reasons for his illness" 

-Hippocrates

More than 2,000 years ago, the physician Hippocrates understood the foundation of good health. The original advocate of Lifestyle Medicine, he believed most illness stemmed from lifestyle, habits, and behavior. He emphasized personal responsibility in healing and the patient’s commitment to meaningful change.

Hippocrates taught that true healing requires removing the source of disease—when it can be identified and controlled—most often through changes in daily living.

Modern healthcare has drifted from this philosophy. Today’s economically driven systems prioritize medications, testing, and procedures, which receive higher reimbursement, while nutrition counseling, exercise guidance, and lifestyle programs are often undervalued and underfunded.

You can’t turn on the TV without seeing the latest “miracle” prescription promising to cure, delay, or prevent disease—followed by a rapid-fire list of serious risks and side effects-The next commercial is or the newest snack chip or a triple-decker, three-cheese, curly-fry-topped burger.

To be clear, modern medicine is invaluable. Life happens, and we can’t always predict or prevent illness. I’m deeply grateful these treatments exist when they are truly needed.

But perhaps the more important question is: what can we do to reduce the likelihood of ever reaching that point in the first place?

Too often, we visit our provider expecting a prescription—for a sniffle, abnormal labs, or imaging results. It’s time to shift our mindset. Instead of asking, “What can I take?” we should ask, “What can I change?” Prevention—through daily habits—remains our strongest defense against chronic lifestyle disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being.”

The WHO also recognizes that health can be limited by factors such as access to education, information, adequate nutrition, and clean water. When these foundational elements are in place, however, vulnerability to ill health is influenced to a significant degree by individual choices.

The purpose of this post is to focus on personal responsibility — particularly the responsibility healthy individuals have to maintain and protect their health through lifestyle choices. By prioritizing healthy habits, we can age more successfully and often prevent or delay many lifestyle-related diseases.

In the United States, we face sobering realities: among industrialized nations, the U.S. has one of the highest rates of people living with multiple chronic conditions, some of the highest death rates from preventable or treatable diseases, and the highest health care spending. United States

Most chronic diseases are strongly associated with four key lifestyle behaviors:

1. Physical inactivity

2. Unhealthy diet

3. Tobacco use

4. Excessive alcohol consumption

Research suggests that up to 80% of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes — and more than one-third of cancers — could be prevented by improving these behaviors.

While we cannot control every factor that influences health, we can take meaningful steps toward protecting and strengthening it through the choices we make each day.

When researching this topic, I was surprised by how little attention it has received—especially in the U.S. This is concerning, given that the U.S. has some of the highest death rates from avoidable or treatable conditions, the highest healthcare spending, and a high prevalence of multiple chronic diseases.

At the same time, lifestyle-related conditions—such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and obesity—continue to rise, driven largely by sedentary behavior, poor diet, and chronic stress. Although medical advances have improved disease management, the overall scale and impact of these conditions remain alarming.

Patients sometimes say, “I have good blood pressure,” but they’re taking an antihypertensive medication. Is their blood pressure truly normal — or is it controlled by medication?

If someone requires medication to maintain normal readings, they have hypertension that is being managed. As long as they take the medication, the numbers may look good. However, relying solely on medication without addressing lifestyle does not correct the underlying problem. Over time, higher doses or additional medications are often needed, and the risks of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease remain.

Personal responsibility plays a critical role. Key lifestyle changes include:

• Reducing sodium intake

• Maintaining a healthy weight

• Staying well hydrated with water

• Engaging in regular physical activity to build strength and improve cardiovascular fitness

The body has a remarkable ability to heal and self-regulate when given the right support. In many cases, lifestyle changes can prevent chronic disease. When disease has already developed, healthy habits can slow progression, reduce the risk of complications, lower medication requirements, and sometimes even eliminate the need for certain medications.

So, the real question becomes: are you an engaged, proactive participant in your health — or someone who simply follows instructions without deeper involvement?

Do you only think about your health when symptoms appear, relying on medication to manage the problem in that moment? Or do you take ownership before illness develops?

True empowerment comes from recognizing that you play a central role in your well-being. Rather than handing over all responsibility, you can choose to actively support your body’s ability to heal, regulate, and thrive.

 "The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well"

-Hippocrates

Personal Insights

One of the greatest lessons my mother taught me was this: you are not entitled to anything, and no one owes you anything. Even when someone wrongs you, you are still responsible for how you respond. You get out of life what you earn and the effort you put into it. It may sound harsh, but in reality, we all have to make our own way. Tough love, perhaps — but powerful truth.

What comes easily is often taken for granted. We forget how we achieved it or the people who helped us along the way. What we work and struggle for, however, stays with us. Those experiences shape us and teach the lessons we carry forward.

Our health is no different. We are not owed good health — yet it is one of our most valuable assets. It is not simply handed to us; it must be earned and maintained. We have to work for it.

Yes, genetics play a role (and often a smaller one than we think — they are not necessarily our destiny). We may face environmental toxins, limited food choices, childhood exposure to tobacco smoke, workplace chemicals, or even serious illnesses like cancer. The list of factors beyond our control is long.

But just as in life, we still carry responsibility. We are responsible for earning, protecting, and improving our health — and for doing our part even when facing devastating illness.

 “The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease”

--Thomas Edison

Several years ago, during an appointment, a patient asked me, “How do you handle so many different situations?”

My answer was simple: I want every patient to have the best life possible — whatever that looks like for them. Each person matters to me, whether it’s their first visit or I’ve been caring for them for years.

She replied, “That must be difficult.”

I told her the hardest part is when you want better health for your patient than they want for themselves. It’s frustrating because you can see the freight train coming, yet you’re powerless to stop it. Medication can only slow the train — it cannot pull the brake.

I can prescribe medications to improve lab values, control blood pressure, and slow disease progression, hopefully reducing associated comorbidities. But I am not fixing the root problem. Only the individual can do that.

As an independent provider, I’m fortunate to integrate nutrition guidance, exercise counseling, and stress management into my appointments. Still, it remains the patient’s responsibility to take that guidance and turn it into sustainable habits that work for their life. They have to pull the brake.

When I’m at the gym, I’m surrounded by inspiring men and women. Of course, the young athlete pushing heavy weight, the retiree on the step machine or the woman strength training can be motivating. Their discipline and dedication are admirable.

But the people who truly move me are those who show up despite real challenges.

It’s the young person in a wheelchair who comes in consistently and does everything within their ability to stay strong and healthy. It’s the older individual walking on the treadmill with an oxygen tank beside them, refusing to let lung disease define their limits. It’s the person with a chemotherapy infusion pump clipped at their side, still choosing to honor their body through movement.

I don’t know their full stories, and I don’t need to. What I do know is this: they are doing what they can, with what they have, in this moment. They are choosing effort over excuse, possibility over limitation.

That is what inspires me — not perfection, not peak performance, but courage and commitment. They remind me that health isn’t about comparison. It’s about showing up for your life in whatever way you are able, and making it the best it can be.

How Can You Take Control of Your Health?

Make the Choice for Change! 

The start date is now. No reason to wait.

Create a PLAN.

Write it out step-by-step. It’s easy to forget or get overwhelmed if we don’t have a guide.

Determine your WHY

WHY do you want to make lifestyle changes? Whatever your purpose is for lifestyle change. All the reasons you want to reach your goal.

I want to reduce my medicine. I don’t want diabetes. I want to prevent that XYZ other illness from developing. I want to feel better. I want to have more energy for my grandkids. 

Set your GOAL

Similar to the WHY but more specific. What do you want the ultimate outcome to be?

I want to lose weight at 1.5 lbs per week. I want to sleep 7 hours a night. I want to lower my cholesterol. I want to lower my stress level.

You can break it down into short-term and long-term goals. I want to reduce my weight, get stronger and reduce my blood pressure medication.  

The HOW

What steps will you take to achieve your goal?

I will walk 5 days a week for 20 minutes for 1 month. Then I will add lifting weights 3 days per week.

As you progress, your WHY and goals may change. They may become too easy or simplistic or you may find you were overly optimistic and need to step back and slow the pace.

Give yourself some GRACE 

Recognize what you have achieved, then hold yourself accountable.

I didn’t get to the gym 3 times this week but I did go for a walk instead. I will focus next week on getting to the gym 3 days.

Doing everything “right” doesn’t guarantee we won’t face illness, disease, or impairment. What it does do is significantly lower our risk of most modern chronic diseases and many cancers.

When we live by healthy principles—don’t smoke, limit alcohol, exercise regularly, eat minimal processed foods, prioritize fresh fruits and vegetables, choose natural protein sources, reduce sodium, and stay well hydrated—we build a stronger foundation. We enter any unforeseen illness, injury, or disease from a place of strength.

Notice I say acquire. At one point, we didn’t have the condition. In some cases, we may have had the opportunity to prevent it—or at least reduce its severity. A healthy lifestyle gives us reserves: strength, resilience, and lower inflammation. Not deficit, weakness, underlying disease, or frailty.

Our knowledge, environment, and genetics all play a role, and we can’t control everything. And don’t mistake my intention—I enjoy a glass of wine, a holiday meal, and the occasional sweet treat. But we can offset those indulgences with consistent healthy habits.

Choose to be proactive about your health rather than reactive to illness.

Nurture it daily, invest in it consistently, and don’t wait for a diagnosis to start caring for yourself. When you take intentional steps each day, you’re not just preventing disease — you’re creating the energy, strength, and vitality to truly enjoy your life.

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" 

-Hippocrates

"The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well"

-Hippocrates

 

Bibliography

Asher, T. (2017, April 20). Timothy Asher. Retrieved from Your Health, Your Responsibility: Why Taking Control Matters : http://timothyasher.com/responsibility-control-health/

Gunja, M. Z. (2023, Jan. 01). U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2022: Accelerating Spending, Worsening Outcomes. Retrieved from The Commonwealth Fund: https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2022

Webber, D. G. (n.d.). THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HEALTHY: A ‘MANIFESTO’ FOR SELF-CARE. Retrieved from Self Care; Advancing the study & understaning of self-care: https://selfcarejournal.com/article/the-responsibilities-of-the-healthy-a-manifesto-for-self-care/#:~:text=The%20World%20Health%20Organization%20(WHO,healthcare%20systems%20around%20the%20world.