Health educators and the future: lead, follow, or get out of the way.

In just a few years a new century will dawn. This article posits that with it will come new challenges for health education. Five types of change the field is currently experiencing are discussed. It is suggested that shifts in demographics, conceptions of family, and levels of activism, are demanding new thinking. Approaches based on a new perception of health education are presented. The need for current health educators to shape the direction of change through invigorated leadership is emphasized.