[Health and health education in Baden-Württemberg]

Health is not only a physical state. Health has much to do with emotions and happiness. It is the foundation of vitality and vivacity. Health is not only a state but also an attitude. Health education aims at promoting a health-conscious attitude and a health-supportive live style. The aim of health education is not only to prevent disease and to reduce individual risk factors; it hopes to provide new options for a different life style. Health education is, therefore, more than mere prevention. Health education means more than a cognitive process. It has--like any educational process--much to do with emotions and personality. It is accomplished via trained persons acting as mediators, or "multipliers". Health Education must be part of the development of a personality. This means a comprehensive approach which has to cover all functions of everyday life. It must take into account all intellectual and physical abilities as well as the emotional and social aspects. In the Land Baden-Württemberg, healthy life styles are promoted by the State Association for Health Education (Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Gesundheitserziehung). It is the umbrella organisation for 115 institutions and associations. At the regional level (Kreis) there are 37 Regional Associations for Health Education centered around the local health authorities (Gesundheitsämter).