Health and wellness are booming in the United States. Advertisements promoting natural and organic products are everywhere, and the benefits of “superfoods” and exercise programs are constantly touted.
Americans are catching on, too. According to a report on health and wellness in the United States released by Nielsen and the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), 89 percent of consumers agree that taking personal responsibility for one’s health is the best way to stay healthy. Seventy percent say that they’re actively trying to become healthier.
Awareness and healthy aspirations, however, have not led to significant lifestyle changes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 35.1 percent of U.S. adults are obese, and 69 percent are overweight. While 75 percent of participants in the Nielsen and NMI study believe that many health issues can be managed through proper nutrition, 91 percent admit to snacking all day on candy, ice cream and chips. Despite knowing what is healthy, many adults continue to disregard this knowledge in their daily lives.
As an independent community pharmacist, you can partner with your patients to help bridge the gap between what they know is healthy and what they actually do. Committing to a healthy lifestyle can be challenging for some, but you can show your patients that you’re there to help. Here are some tips to promote healthy living in your pharmacy.
Connect healthy living to disease management
An easy way to get your patients involved in healthy living is by connecting it to the reason many patients are already at your pharmacy: disease management. Take the time to explain the effect healthy choices can make on their overall health. Back up your claims with anecdotes or statistics. For example, here’s a study by the American Heart Association that found that certain lifestyle changes could lead to a huge reduction in stroke risk.
Don’t ignore the challenges to healthy living
Many people find it hard to transition to healthy living because of time constraints or the commonly higher prices of healthier food. It’s important for you to be sympathetic to these challenges, and to help your patients find realistic solutions. Instead of advocating for complete transformations, propose small changes, such as eating one additional serving of fruit each day, cutting out one unhealthy snack or going on a short walk. Making a few small changes at a time can help patients create lasting healthy habits.
Offer products or events that can help
Your patients may know the basics of healthy living, but they may not know how to actually get there. Help patients make healthy choices by featuring useful products or services that go along with the health tips they already know. Create a display of healthy snacks that they can substitute for chips or candy, or host a workshop on meal planning and food shopping. Another option is to launch a simple social media campaign that provides daily tips on healthy choices.
Make it fun
Incentivize your patients’ new, healthy lifestyles. Help them follow through on their commitments to healthy living by rewarding them for taking steps in the right direction. For example, if you have a patient who wants to eat more fruits and vegetables, encourage him to record his progress over a period of time, and share his success with you in exchange for a coupon. You could even take this to social media by asking your patients to post pictures of small changes they’re making.
Or, do it with them. Have your employees set their own healthy living goals and work to achieve them. Goals like exercising each day, eating better or lowering cholesterol will set good examples for your patients. Let your patients know that the pharmacists, techs and staff in your pharmacy are working to get healthy just like them.
With your help, your patients can turn their knowledge of healthy living into action.
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