Archive 2005 2006 2007 2008

What is "Wellness"?

Wellness is much more than simply the absence of sickness. It is optimal physical, mental, and emotional well-being, a preventive way of living that reduces—sometimes even eliminates—the need for remedies. Wellness emphasizes personal responsibility for making the life-style choices and self-care decisions that will improve the quality of your life. One crucial tenet is that preventing illness is even more important than treating it, especially since many chronic diseases are incurable.

Wellness is a positive, day-to-day approach to a long, healthful, active life. It includes both highly scientific and practical medicine—from the latest research and most advanced tests to reliable home remedies and common sense.

About the Newsletter

Founded in 1984, the WELLNESS LETTER has more than 350,000 subscribers in the U.S. and Canada (plus thousands of readers of its foreign-language editions). It has been rated No. 1 by U.S. News & World Report, the Baltimore Sun, Money Magazine, and the Washington Post, for its "brisk," "reasoned" coverage of health issues.

The WELLNESS LETTER relies on the expertise of the School of Public Health and other researchers at UC Berkeley, as well as other top scientists from around the world. It translates this leading-edge research into practical advice for daily living—at home, at work, while exercising, and in the market or health-food store.

Rather than simply reporting quick health stories of the day, the WELLNESS LETTER puts the news in perspective and evaluates it. It constantly reviews the latest research to give you the edge in your quest to live the best life you can. In particular, it clarifies the often conflicting and superficial health information presented by the popular media. It doesn't promote faddish diets or other anecdote-based regimens. Nor does it simply repeat conventional medical advice from mainstream health organizations or pharmaceutical companies.

The WELLNESS LETTER has no ads, no padding. It doesn't try to sell you supplements or products. Instead in every fact-packed issue, you'll find at least a dozen articles, on a wide variety of subjects related to food and nutrition, exercise, self-care, preventive medicine, and emotional well-being—plus many, many Wellness Facts and Tips.

For a sample of the wide range of subjects in WELLNESS LETTER, take a look at our Index.

About UC Berkeley & the School of Public Health

Behind the WELLNESS LETTER stands one of the most respected educational institutions in the world. For over a century, the University of California, Berkeley has built an extraordinary record of achievement. Its faculty has produced 19 Nobel laureates, 5 Pulitzer Prize winners, 128
appointees to the National Academy of Sciences, and 30 winners of the National Medal of Science.

For nearly 60 years, the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley has helped promote and protect the health of Americans. It is one of the nation's leading research and teaching institutions in this field. Its internationally renowned faculty includes physicians, educators, psychologists, nutrition experts, epidemiologists, and public health professionals. Among its areas of research are: the control of cancer, the relationship between diet and disease prevention, occupational health, the link between social support and good health, and environmental health.

You can visit the UC Berkeley School of Public Health website.