An Invitation to Health: Taking Charge of Your Health

Presented in the trusted point of view of Dianne Hales, the author and journalist who has candidly discussed personal health in textbooks and the national press for decades, the book engages and informs students. Like no other writer, she understands the modern health issues impacting college students today--and connects with students on their level.

The book delivers content designed for an introductory-level personal health course with a student-friendly style and a practical, action-oriented approach to everything from fitness and nutrition to stress management and healthy relationships.

A number of features help students make the important personal choice of healthy living, including “Snapshot: On Campus Now” statistics, Check-Ins that encourage students to reflect on the material, and chapter-based “Taking Charge of Your Health” checklists that allow them to track their own issues and make positive and lasting behavior changes.

New sections on money management, the opioid epidemic, CBD, and obesity bring the 19th Edition fully up to date.

New research throughout includes the latest findings on a variety of trending diets, student vulnerability to stress and coping techniques, and treatment options for drug addiction. Updated statistics are included on health in America, vaccinations of college students, and college students’ health, supporting topics such as the sex lives of college students, loneliness, shyness, and social anxiety.

Expanded coverage updates a range of topics, including stress for specific student groups, including first-generation students, minority students, student athletes, military veterans, those on the gender spectrum, the LGBTQIA community, and mental health.

The chapter on Social Health has been renamed “Communicating and Connecting” and includes updated statistics, new research on the digital life of college students, and a new section, “Digital Dating.” The chapter continues to address online student safety issues with discussions of online relationships, protecting oneself and one’s privacy, and cyberbullying on college campuses.