Thanksgiving: A Great Time to Invest in a Family Health History

Once again, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin has declared Thanksgiving as the nation’s 8th annual “Family Health History Day.” Given that Thanksgiving is a time when families unite, it is an opportune time to share health information with each other and develop or update your family history.

While family health histories may seem old-fashioned, the truth is, a family health history is key to understanding your family’s unique genetic make-up and your individual disease risks.

Knowing your family health history can help you actually prevent disease, or detect diseases, such as many forms of cancer, for early treatment. Because some health conditions skip generations, be sure to talk to your older relatives who may know additional family history.

“Discussing health information with other members of your family can often uncover conditions and explanations for health problems which you never knew about, simply because no one ever asked,” said Dr. Benjamin.

The information your family health history contains can help you and your doctor determine your personal risk. This means two things: you can tailor your lifestyle to reduce your health risks; and you can be more carefully screened for diseases where your risk is high.

One of the easiest ways to compile a family health history is on a special site set aside for just that purpose. My Family Health Portrait is a secure tool that allows you to create a family health portrait. Access and use is free, and the process can be completed in as little as 20 minutes.

You can share it with anyone you choose, making it accessible for family members who could not attend and contribute. They can build on your Family Health Portrait by adding their health information and can choose to share with you. You can also choose to offer access to your physician.

When you complete the questions, the website creates a personalized “family health tree” that can be saved to your home computer. From there, families may update the information at any time.  Your information remains private.  The federal website does not retain the information once the tool has been used to assemble it. 

“On this Thanksgiving holiday, I hope you and your family will take a few minutes to create a family health portrait,” Dr. Benjamin said.   “Learning your family’s health history is a valuable investment to make in your health and your family’s health.”