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Mark G. Jameson, MD
Towson, Md

JAMA. 1987;257(23):3228.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

The recently published Health Policy Agenda for the American People¹ represents the culmination of enormous effort and marks a significant milestone establishing standards for the future direction of health care in the United States. One of the stated primary themes that underlie the Health Policy Agenda is that "the success of the health care system depends on... responsibilities of key participants, including consumers." It is thus surprising that only one of the 195 recommendations (number 78) encourages all individuals to adopt "a healthy life-style."

Some authorities estimate that 50% of all medical resources expended in the United States are related to life-style.² As an example, the Surgeon General attributes 30% of all coronary heart disease, the leading killer in the United States, and 30% of all cancers to cigarette smoking.³ The Framingham Study's data project that another 25% of coronary heart disease and 35% . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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