A healthy body cannot exist apart from a healthy spirit, old-timers used to say. From that old adage a new model of health is emerging in Europe that seeks to re-imagine our basic understanding of public health. The idea is called Health Promotion. Instead of government proclamations about what is healthy and what is not, it seeks to engage citizens in a democratic discussion about their own diet, habits, and behaviors regarding their health. Health promoters have looked especially to the schools to help kids figure out for themselves what it is to be healthy. In the first of two reports, Frank Browning visits a health-promoting school in Denmark.
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