Education and Good Health

You may have noticed in the “about me” box that my wife owns and manages a women’s fitness club. This is a topic for another post or two or three

Nevertheless, this responsibility of ownership (both similar and different from running a school) has brought to us a renewed awareness of the importance of health and fitness in our lives.

We now tend to read all those articles that appear in the newspapers and on the web. You know: 10 secrets to good health – what you need to know about cholesterol – how to count, multiply, subtract and add your calories, etc.

What always intrigues me in this literature of good health is the connection between education and wellness. The comment is made in many articles.

Gina Kolata, writing in the January 8, 2008 New York Times states:

Active people are much less likely to smoke; they’re thinner and they eat differently than their sedentary peers. They also tend to be more educated, and education is one of the strongest predictors of good health in general and a longer life.

None of the articles I have seen goes on to explain why a good education can lead to a healthier life – worth some research this - but I’m now very grateful to the many teachers and courses I took over the years to which I attached no value then but can now see the light. I’m 59 and still here to write about musings and whatnots.