Eight years ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. At first I went through a period of denial and, other than taking the proper medicines, I pretty much ignored the situation. Eventually, I started to get a grip on the situation and I started modifying my behaviors. I discussed my life changes in one of my recent blogs, Small Changes to a Healthier You. Trying to be healthy has become such an important process in my life that I wanted to share information about a federal program called Healthy People 2020.
Healthy People 2020 is the national agenda for health promotion and disease prevention. It outlines a set of objectives to improve the overall health of the Americans over the next 10 years. Its goals are to:
- Attain high-quality, longer lives free of preventable disease, disability, injury, and premature death.
- Achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups.
- Create social and physical environments that promote good health for all.
- Promote quality of life, healthy development, and healthy behaviors across all life stages.
On December 2, 2010, The US Department of Health and Human Services posted a MyHealthyPeople Application Developer Challenge. They challenged contestants to develop a customized application for professionals, advocates, funders and decision makers who will be using Healthy People 2020 to improve the health of the Nation.
The end date for the contest, March 7, 2011, is rapidly approaching. Prizes are being awarded for the top three entries: First Place – $2,500, Second Place – $1,000, and Third Place – $500. If you are interested in participating in this, or any of the other government challenges, check out http://challenge.gov/.