EHE International Celebrates Centennial with New Book: "100 Years of Preventive Health"

NEW YORK, April 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- EHE International, a nationally recognized leader in preventive medicine and annual physical exams, celebrates its 100^th anniversary in 2013 with the release of a new book, 100 Years of Preventive Health: The History of EHE International. The book chronicles the company's rich history of helping people live longer, healthier lives.

"For 100 years, EHE International has been the standard-bearer in preventive health," said Deborah McKeever, EHE president. "This book is a testament to EHE's lasting legacy in health care. Over the last century, our organization has adapted to changing times but has never wavered from our core mission: the conservation of human life and the promotion of health and longevity by the systematic application of medical science for the early detection of life-threatening disease through annual physical exams."

When Harold A. Ley and Irving Fisk launched EHE International (formerly known as the The Life Extension Institute) in 1913, Americans had an average life expectancy of just 47 years, and X-rays and surgical anesthesia were poised to revolutionize health care. Through the Great Depression, two World Wars and 17 presidents – including one who became the chairman of the EHE board, President William Howard Taft; and one who followed the EHE diet, President Woodrow Wilson – stunning advancements in technology and science have completely changed the way that health care is delivered. But 100 years and millions of exams later, EHE remains the leading advocate for preventive health and the leading provider of physical examinations that identify disease and the development of health risks in the earliest and most treatable or manageable stages.

"100 Years of Preventive Health: The History of EHE International tells the story of EHE and preventive care in the U.S. with pictures and captivating narrative that highlight how far we've come as a country and the role EHE has played along the way," said McKeever.

As highlighted in 100 Years of Preventive Health: The History of EHE International, EHE was among the first in the U.S. to:

• Identify that 23 percent of draftees at the end of World War I were unfit for service due to preventable health conditions that could have been avoided through diet and oral hygiene (Dr. Fisk, 1918).
• Discover the link between smoking tobacco and chronic diseases such as heart ailments and cancer 40 years before the U.S. Surgeon General warned of the dangers of smoking (1921, What it Costs to Smoke Tobacco).
• Examine lost employee productivity due to preventable illness, concluding that lost man-hours were enough to complete 400 destroyers for the U.S. Navy (1944, Dr. Johnson).
• Expand public health discussions to include sexual health, including the first look at the [sexual] habits of gay Americans (Dr. Harry J. Johnson, 1974).
• Declare the full body scan to be an unsafe preventive screening tool three years before Columbia University found that the amount of radiation in one full body scan was equivalent to the amount of radiation received by Hiroshima survivors 1.5 miles from the atom bomb blast core (2001, EHE Medical Advisory Board).
• Discover that the incidence of colorectal cancer is as prevalent among adults aged 40 to 49 as it is among adults aged 50 and above (2008, EHE Medical Advisory Board). 
• Discover the correlation between heart disease and obesity risk factors due to frequent travel among executives (2011, Dr. Andrew Rundle).

In 2014, EHE will continue its tradition in historic research by publishing the largest study to date on the effect that a spouse or partner's health has on the other.  The study will draw data from 6,000 couples.

"100 Years of Preventive Health: The History of EHE International is our tribute to the men and women of yesteryear who set forth the EHE mission and led us to where we are today.  As we enter our next century, we pledge to honor and preserve that great tradition," said McKeever. 

To learn more or to request a copy of 100 Years of Preventive Health: The History of EHE International please visit us online at http://www.eheintl.com/ehe-book/

About the Book:
Title: 100 Years of Preventive Health: The History of EHE International
Publisher: The Donning Company
ISBN: 978-1-57864-819-1

About EHE International
Since 1913, EHE International has been the recognized leader in preventive medicine. Its clinical protocols are specifically designed for early detection of preventable disease and associated risk factors, supported by robust personal coaching and health management tools and resources. EHE International is the oldest and largest preventive medicine specialist and its clinically based educational and social engagement platforms are the preferred choice among America's leading employers. For more information, visit www.eheintl.com.

SOURCE EHE International