Health literacy is the knowledge and awareness to manage your health. When you are health literate, you can make healthy choices for you and your family. For example, strong health literacy skills will allow you to avoid harmful practices such as unhealthy diets. When you’re able to make intelligent health choices, you can avoid common diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, and tooth decay. Being healthy will not only help save money on medical expenses, but allow you to live a longer and happier life.
Resources:
ABC Life Literacy: Health Literacy
Canadian Cancer Society
Wikipedia’s Complete Guide to Tooth Decay
Planned Parenthood
Our Bodies Ourselves