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“Prevention” is a pretty big topic. There are a lot of medical issues that can be prevented, like heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, sexually transmitted diseases, and more. Since there is such a variety of things that can be prevented, there is a variety of careers directed toward helping people prevent them. The preventative medicine field is in demand. Here a few popular preventative careers.
- Dietician / Nutritionist: Obesity, high cholesterol, and poor diet are real problems and are among the top preventable causes of death. Careers intended to help people make healthier food choices are likely to be in increasing demand as our waistlines grow.
- Therapist: Alcoholism, STDs, and drug use are also among the top causes of preventable death. Sometimes, speaking with a therapist can help an addict or potential addict work through the psychological reasons that may turn them toward heavy drinking, drug use or promiscuity.
- Physical Therapist: The number of people with arthritis or injuries that require therapy as part of recovery will help keep physical therapy positions in demand.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that tobacco use is “the single most important preventable risk to human health…” and a World Health Organization report found that tobacco was the single greatest cause of preventable death. A variety of healthcare professionals and even hypnotists work in preventing tobacco-related deaths.
Hypertension, physical inactivity, traffic collisions, infectious diseases, and deaths involving firearms are all among the top causes of preventable death in the U.S. and around the world. Career fields from physical trainer to motivational speaker to police officer all work hard to prevent these problems.