We are witnessing a divergent trend in the field of health. On the one hand, we are pouring massive resources into medicalizing the ravages of detrimental health habits. On the other hand, the conception of health is shifting from a disease model to a health model. It emphasizes health promotion rather than disease management.

Health promotion should begin with goals not means. If health is the goal, biomedical interventions are not the only means to it. The quality of health is heavily influenced by lifestyle habits. This enables people to exercise some control over their health. To stay healthy, people should exercise, reduce dietary fat, refrain from smoking, keep blood pressure down and develop effective ways of managing stressors. By managing their health habits, people can live longer, healthier and retard the process of ageing. Self-management is good medicine. If the huge benefits of these few habits were put into a pill it would be declared a scientific milestone in the field of medicine.

Current health practices focus heavily on the medical supply side. The growing pressure on health systems is to reduce, ration and curtail health services to contain escalating health costs. The days for the supply side health system are limited. People are living longer. This creates more time for minor dysfunctions to develop into chronic diseases requiring costly treatments.

Social cognitive approaches focus on the demand side. They promote effective self-management of health habits that will keep people healthy through their life span.