NATIONAL FUTURE GENERATIONS DAY
National Future Generations Day is celebrated on the third Friday in March. This National Day serves as a powerful reminder of our collective responsibility to nurture the health and well-being of those yet to come. promote awareness and dialogue around these critical issues.
#FutureGenerationsDay
In a world where today’s challenges often feel like they’re piling up faster than we can handle, it’s essential to pause and reflect on the legacy we leave for future generations. National Future Generations Day give us all the opportunity to foster a deeper understanding of how our choices today impact the lives of our children. After all, thinking ahead is not just for retirement plans or saving for vacations--it’s about ensuring that the generations that follow inherit a world worth living in.
Our decisions don’t just affect our own well-being, they affect everyone and are passed down through time. Research by Dr. Kent Thornburg and Dr. Tessa Roseboom have made significant strides in uncovering the intricate relationships between genetics, environment, and health outcomes. Dr. Thornburg's research shows that the experiences of one generation can profoundly affect the health of the next. Taking care of ourselves now means setting the stage for those who come after us.
The Importance of Generational Changes
In order to get to the core of today's cultural diversity, we need to learn how things have changed or are changing through generations. Age is not the deciding factor on how something was our should be done. World events, society shifts, technology, pop culture, and shifting of attitudes all contribute to the fabric of each generation. We need to learn about how and why we adapt to changes and why making changes today will help future generations.
Generational changes is 'a hopeful vision of what can happen if we take action now. And who wouldn’t want to give future generations a chance to live healthier, fuller lives, with fewer doctor’s appointments along the way?
~Dr. Kent Thornburg, Top researcher in the field of epigenetics
There are long-term consequences of our health decisions. For example, maternal nutrition during pregnancy can lead to changes that influence a child’s risk for chronic diseases later in life. By committing ourselves to make the necessary changes, we could potentially cure many chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart issues, within three generations.
CELEBRATE FUTURE GENERATIONS DAY
Celebrating National Future Generations Day is a movement toward preventive healthcare and social responsibility. By prioritizing health, we encourage a shift from reactive to proactive measures. Instead of waiting for problems to emerge, we can focus on preventing them in the first place. Whether we change with diet, create cleaner environments, or simply have better awareness, our actions today impact tomorrow. Here are a few more ideas on what you can do the make changes:
Considering whether to swap that fast food for something a little greener, remember: the stakes might be bigger than just your waistline.
Watch the documentary The 100 Year Effect to learn why bringing public awareness is important for societal change.
Facilitate a group to give people the opportunity for to engage in discussions about sustainable practices, healthy lifestyle choices, and policies aimed at safeguarding the health of future generations.
Join the movement that transcends borders and fosters international collaboration to help our future be better.
Use the hashtag #FutureGenerationsDay on social media to spread awareness and share ideas on to make change today to make a difference tomorrow.
HISTORY BEHIND NATIONAL FUTURE GENERATIONS DAY
National Future Generations Day was approved by the National Day Calendar Registrar to be celebrated each year on the third Friday in March. Today, we ask everyone to hit pause, reflect, and ask ourselves, "What are we really doing for the people who will live in the world we leave behind?"
About the Founder: The Moore Institute at OHSU
Dr. Kent Thornburg, a pioneering researcher in the field of epigenetics at The Moore Institute at OHSU, has made significant strides in uncovering the intricate relationships between genetics, environment, and health outcomes. His research shows that the experiences of one generation can profoundly affect the health of the next. Importantly, Dr. Thornburg is telling us that if we are committed enough to make the necessary changes, we could cure many chronic diseases within three generations.
In collaboration with Thornburg, Dr. Tessa Roseboom has furthered this dialogue through her research in the Netherlands. Her studies on the Dutch Hunger Winter have illuminated the profound effects of prenatal malnutrition on the long-term health of individuals exposed in utero. As the newly appointed Commissioner of Future Generations at her hospital in Amsterdam, Dr. Roseboom is committed to translating these insights into actionable health policies. Her work is a clarion call to healthcare professionals and policymakers to recognize that what happens today impacts tomorrow—and probably a lot longer than most of us realize.