Pam Mellskog writes about the value of genealogy not only in regards to knowing where one came from, but knowing what illnesses might run in a family in Probing your genealogical past, an article for the Daily Times-Call/Longmont FYI (CO). We’ve mentioned similar stories in the past, and the US Surgeon General’s Family History Initiative can be found here.
Excerpt from the article:
About two years ago, the U.S. Surgeon General launched the Family History Initiative to encourage families to pull that information together.
Ninety-six percent of Americans understand the importance of family health history, according to a survey cited on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site. But only about a third have attempted to compile it.
“It’s not a very fun conversation,†said Dr. Eric Benson, a Longmont Clinic family physician. “There’s nothing interesting to say about good health. The only conversations that you learn from are the ones people don’t like to have.â€
Still, he encourages patients to play detective, especially during the holidays when families typically gather more than usual.
via The Genealogue