Released February 10, 2009
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. - Robert Keith has always been a stickler for staying healthy, whether it involves eating right, exercising to stay fit or avoiding needless, costly accidents around the home and the workplace.
And during what may prove to be a prolonged, possibly severe, economic downturn, Keith says the old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," holds especially true for people who could suffer most from a health crisis or severe injury — the unemployed and the medically uninsured.
"In addition to healthy eating and exercising, there's the added dimension of staying safe by avoiding accidents," says Keith, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System nutrition and health specialist and Auburn University professor of nutrition and food science.
Keith believes that this involves more than just following a series of safety tips. It also involves acquiring a new mind-set.
"You need to create for yourself an awareness of safety — a safety mentality."
While his first bit of advice — driving safely — may sound trite, he says it nonetheless remains the most valid advice for avoiding the kind of injury that can be both financially and physically devastating.
"A lot of traffic accidents are simply that — unavoidable accidents — but by consciously developing a mind-set associated with awareness, you may be better equipped to see what's coming down the road at you," he says.
Automotive-related accidents, far and above other risk factors, remain the biggest cause of serious physical injuries.
"Statistically speaking, the automobile is the least safe place you can be," says Keith, stressing that the number of people killed in automobile accidents dwarfs the number of all other accident-related deaths.
"It's the one area in which you should be especially aware of the risks," he says.
The usual cautions apply: buckling your seatbelts and being aware of speed limits.
"These [safety precautions] are commonsensical kinds of things, but they need to be practiced and taken to heart," he says. "You can be the most physically fit person and nutritious eater in the world, but even then, you have to be aware of safety risks." Keith says.
The other two areas of special concern are the home environment and the workplace. Monetarily, workplace injuries are not as problematic following injury, Keith says, because work compensation typically applies.
Home, though, is a different matter.
"This is a huge area for accidents," Keith says, "in the form of falls, fires, poisonings and firearm-related accidents."
These should figure at the top of the list of safety issues that should be addressed around the home, he says.
Keith says homeowners should take special care to remove paper from around stoves and electrical outlets and appliances such as space heaters — a common cause of home fires. Likewise, parents of toddlers should be mindful of placing household cleaning products, insecticides and even house plants out of reach.
Falls are another major risk factor — the reason why Keith says people should ask themselves two questions before taking objects off shelves and replacing light bulbs: Are you standing on a firm enough foundation? Do you have someone to spot you?
"In the home, much like on the road, you need to develop this mindset for safety awareness," he says. "So many accidents occur simply because people have not developed a mindset to anticipate the sorts of things that could go wrong," he says.
No one could accuse Keith of not practicing what he preaches.
For as long as he's been married and been a father, Keith says he's been mindful of the need to create safe environments — at home, on the road and in the workplace — for himself and his loved ones.
"People need to keep in mind that keeping safe is another way to keep themselves healthy, in addition to eating well and staying fit."
For a list of things you can do to create safe environments, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
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