"Behavior modification is incredibly challenging, and I believe that change is a process, not an event. In many medical studies, we see that change can take six months or more, as humans tend to contemplate change for much longer than is usually necessary. Once someone is aware of a problem in their health, it often takes a long time to commit to action and change. For that reason, I would choose to put most of my efforts into treating existing diseases and improving the lives of those suffering from illness while, at the same time, working in the background to create change over time. I could do this by educating the patients I treat and encouraging them to take small steps towards change. In the case of a smoker, for instance, they may be contemplating, 'If I quit smoking, I will reduce the risk of heart disease, but I will also gain weight.' Rather than fighting their thought process, I would encourage them to cut back over time, reducing their commitment to cigarettes just one cigarette at a time."
