Keep learning. Public and private institutions in many lands provide educational programs and literature on a wide range of health topics. Take advantage of them, and educate yourself about basic ways to improve your health and to avoid endangering it. Keep an open mind, and be willing to make simple adjustments.

The good habits you learn and put into practice may well benefit your children and their children after them. When parents set a good example in regard to healthful nutrition, cleanliness, sleep habits, exercise, and disease prevention, their offspring are likely to benefit.​—Proverbs 22:6.

What more is needed? It takes more than self-interest to establish and maintain a healthful way of life. Eliminating long-standing bad habits can be daunting, and making even simple adjustments often requires strong motivation. Even the threat of serious illness and death may not move some to do what they know is good for them. What will? Like all of us, they need to keep in mind a higher purpose, or objective, in life.

Mates need to remain healthy and strong to continue helping each other. Parents desire to go on supporting and training their children. Grown children need to care for aging relatives. Add to this the noble desire to be a blessing to the community rather than a burden. All of this involves love and concern for others.

An even stronger motivation derives from gratitude and devotion to our Maker. Believers in God wish to safeguard his precious gift of life. (Psalm 36:9) If we are healthy, we can serve God more actively. There could be no higher or more motivating reason to take care of one’s health.