| By Andrea Henderson |
It’s the start of a new year and if you are like most Americans, you’ve set a New Year’s resolution. If that resolution is tied to your health, you are among over half of those Americans who set such a goal. As the days, weeks, and hopefully months wear on, if you find yourself looking for support, one possibility to consider is your company’s workplace health programs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Workplace health is moving in the right direction” with 46 percent of “U.S. worksites offer[ing] some type of health program to employees.”1 The most popular areas are physical activity, tobacco cessation, weight management, and stress management.
If you want to be a part of the estimated 20 percent of people who stick to their resolutions2, another place you may want to turn to is your public library. Many public libraries offer programming around health-related topics that any patron is welcome to join. The sense of community support is certainly one factor in boosting your success by leaning on your library. Another is the access to resources that will give you additional tools in defining your path to wellness.
In December, Gale published two new encyclopedias that will help you do exactly that—find information to inform your path and inspire you on your mission to ending 2020 healthier than you started!
The Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health, 2nd edition is your go-to resource on health topics that affect the public at large (like foodborne diseases) and chronic issues (diabetes, for example) as well as social issues (such as eating disorders). Several years ago, my New Year’s resolution was to consistently get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation was taking a toll on me. Understanding that it was interfering with my ability to focus as well as having negative effects on my weight control efforts was enough to motivate me to stick with my resolution that year.
The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, 5th edition has you covered in both the worlds of complementary and alternative medical therapies, practices, and herbs and supplements. (Complementary medicine being used alongside conventional medicine versus alternative medicine, which is often used instead of conventional medicine.) It can be overwhelming to navigate this sea of information, but you’ll have authoritative, unbiased yet accessible articles at your fingertips with this encyclopedia. It was a New Year’s resolution in 2016 to find new ways to reduce stress and keep my blood pressure in check that led me to yoga. And I haven’t turned back since.
Coming soon—the sixth edition of The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine is a timely, comprehensive resource for consumers interested in health information. It provides health and medical information on approximately 2,000 topics, including health issues of global importance. Entries do not use technical jargon, making them easier to understand. The encyclopedia is extremely thorough, well organized, and enhanced with color photos and illustrations. Related entries and resource lists give readers suggestions for further research, and organizations listed can provide additional assistance. Available March 2020.
Here’s to a healthier, happier 2020!
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “The World of Workplace Health Programs” infographic, April 22, 2019.
- Inc., “Most People Fail to Achieve Their New Year’s Resolution. For Success, Choose a Word of the Year Instead,” January 07, 2019.
Meet the Author
Andrea Henderson is Gale’s content strategist for public libraries. She is a lifelong editor and lover of words. On any given day you will find her balancing domesticity (one cool husband, three awesome kids, and the sweetest English bulldog on the planet) and referencing content conceptualization, development, and promotion. Give her a chance to read a great piece of fiction and she’s a happy camper.