Environmental Health Education: New YMyHealth Series
Written by Sarah Simmons, RN
What comes to mind when I say words like “health” or “wellness”? Let me guess: diet, exercise, organic, or even mental wellbeing? That’s not surprising.
According to Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, wellness is “a daily, active pursuit for millennials.”
As a millennial, you’re part of a generation that is eating healthier, exercising more, and smoking less. You care about where your food comes from and if your clothes are sustainable.
That’s because you know that your physical environment has a huge impact on your health. So much so, that “environmental health” has become a real buzzword.
But what exactly does it mean and more importantly, how can you be a millennial who cares for your health without costing the planet its health at the same time?
What Is Environmental Health?
The American Public Health Association defines environmental health as “the branch of public health that: focuses on the relationships between people and their environment; promotes human health and well-being; and fosters healthy and safe communities.”
It’s clear in the way millennials live their lives that the power of the environment and its impact on health, is of upmost importance.
As a millennial, 73% of you have said that you are willing to pay extra for one thing: sustainability.
Plus, a 2022 Deloitte Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey found an overwhelming nine out of ten millennials and members of Generation Z reported making choices that align with protecting the environment.
Teaser: Upcoming Environmental Health Articles
At YMyHealth, we hear what’s important to you and understand your concerns. We are concerned too. As global warming continues to rise with the wackiest weather patterns we have seen in our lifetimes, YMyHealth is kicking off a new series to delve into some of the biggest environmental health issues facing the future of our own health and the planet’s.
Here are highlights of what’s to come:
Organic food
Did you know that 80% of millennials care about the quality and source of the food they eat? Yet, a “superfood” like almonds, for example, can be super for the body but not so super for the environment.
Single-use plastics
Our effort to prevent the spread of germs and disease by increasing our consumption of single-use plastics also comes with a steep environmental price tag. Millennials were among the first to recognize this, starting back in 2018 when there was a big push for ridding ourselves of plastic straws. We continue the conversation about the effect on ocean pollution and waste.
Supplements
According to the 2019 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements, millennials are one of the industry’s biggest consumers. Now, we turn our focus to why supplements for “health” may have devastating impacts on the planet. Take fish oil for example. This source of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids for us is negatively impacting our oceans’ ecosystems.
Getting Your Eight Glasses
Could you be reaching your water-drinking goals but putting a strain on the environment? To achieve drinking eight glasses of water a day using plastic water bottles amount to 1,460 bottles a year, per person.
Conclusion
As you can see, millennials have an immense interest in optimizing their personal health while tackling some of the toughest environmental health issues affecting our planet today.
YMyHealth will bring these issues to light for the millennial community as only a health resource that is “for millennials and by millennials” can, looking at things from both perspectives—what’s healthy for the environment, but not for us, and vice versa.
In the meantime, subscribe to the YMyHealth newsletter to stay up to date on our environmental health coverage and everything else that’s health-related for millennials!
