Prevention works.
In the past two years, [our city] has made an historic investment in prevention and wellness with the goal of helping our residents thrive Through funding from Communities Putting Prevention to Work, we are transforming the places where we live, work, play and learn. That smart investment is already reaping big rewards.
Chronic diseases related to unhealthy eating, smoking and lack of physical activity are one of the biggest drains on our economy, here locally, and nationwide. Seven of ten deaths among Americans each year are caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes—diseases that could be prevented. These same chronic diseases account for more than 75 percent of our nation's health care spending. An American Lung Association study shows that every year, "smoking results in costs to the US economy of more than $301 billion." A 5 percent reduction—just in diabetes and high blood pressure rates—would save our country as much as 24.7 billion dollars a year. [If you have more local data, please use it!]
Community prevention dollars are working right now to alleviate some of these soaring costs—and improving health at the same time.
Our families, the kids your children play with at school, the family that lives next door to you, deserve support as they strive to be healthy. [Your city name] businesses trying to prosper shouldn't be brought down by skyrocketing health costs and low productivity related to the declining health of their workforce. The [city name] people know it, and we are rolling up our sleeves and doing just what Americans do best: finding innovative solutions. We are immensely proud of their work.
Prevention work believes that parents want their kids to eat healthily; and prevention also makes sure every child can access fresh, affordable food right where they live and go to school. [Insert your healthy eating example here, ie: That's why we've recruited nearly 500 corner stores into the Healthy Corner Store Initiative, with the goal of bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to every parent, child and family here in [our city]. We've also given resources to local business owners for equipment upgrades, shelving and refrigeration to sell produce, low-fat dairy products, and lean meats.]
Our local businesses really deserve the extra boost that a healthy community will bring. Businesses spend $73 billion dollars a year on chronic diseases that these kinds of efforts can prevent. Our local businesses are going to save money on healthcare costs, lost work days and medical claims when their workforce—all of us in _____—are healthier.
[Insert an example where local business has been involved or benefited from your efforts, ie: In Bartholomew County, Indiana, the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce has worked with other local groups to create Reach Healthy Business, a workplace recognition program designed to support companies who are committed to creating a workplace that supports employee health. Chamber of Commerce president Jack Hess came on board to address what he thought were the two single biggest costs to small businesses: health insurance costs and the loss in productivity based on the treatment of health-related disease, such as employee absenteeism. Hess said, "A healthy community is one in which companies want to locate, businesses want to grow and expand, and the best workforce in the world wants to live."]
Prevention is local, and involves all of us. [Insert an example that shows involvement of local leaders, local parents, local business, etc., ie: La Crosse County Wisconsin's Farm2School program is helping Wisconsin kids eat Wisconsin food. Over 5,000 students are eating and learning how to cook locally-grown foods including cabbage, beets, wild rice, potatoes and winter squash, grown by local Wisconsin farmers, and prepared locally instead of being shipped in from California, Florida or even Chile. Local food processing facility Wisconsin Innovation Kitchen pre-processes the food to reduce labor costs in the school kitchens, and had to add a third shift to keep up with the new demand.]
[City name] could be—should be—a community committed to the health of its people, not solely to the treatment and management of its sick. Our children are now projected to have a shorter life span than their parents, due largely to preventable chronic diseases. Fortunately, we know what works—and what is working—to turn this around. [City citizens] are putting prevention to work because we care about the health of our children, the vitality of our community, and the devastating impact of skyrocketing health care costs on our nation. Community prevention is showing real success—and that's something that we can all take pride in and celebrate. We want children and parents to take for granted that the places they live, work, play, and learn are going to support them in healthy eating, physical activity and living smoke-free—not make it harder.
Community prevention is making that possible today.