How often do you think about health?
If you’re like most, it comes to mind when you’re having problems. In youth, we take our health for granted. After we’re diagnosed with one or more chronic conditions, it can consume our thoughts and time as we attend ongoing medical appointments and tests.
As part of the Burnaby Division of Family Practice’s Empowering Patients public education series, I present health as something you should attend to each and every day.
Although accidents happen and some illnesses can strike without warning, the best predictors of your future health are the habits you practise today.
One of the goals of encouraging a healthy lifestyle is to reduce your future risk for chronic health conditions – including heart disease, high blood pressure, chronic bronchitis and diabetes. Although genetics play an important role, physical activity, healthy eating, not smoking and avoiding excessive alcohol can significantly reduce the frequency, delay the onset and reduce the severity of these conditions.
Imagine if we all supported one another in the living of healthier lives.
In addition to enjoying life more and feeling a lot better, together we would reduce the burden of chronic disease throughout our community. In spite of an aging population, we may even be able to reduce health-care costs. In the future, we may be older, wiser and healthier.
To learn more about our public education program, check out the Burnaby Division of Family Practice’s website at www.divisionsbc.ca/burnaby/empoweringpatients. Click on Other Resources to see my slides and key points handouts from each of the talks, including healthy eating, healthy physical activity, emotional wellbeing, healthy relationships, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and improving the patient-doctor relationship.
You’ll also find videos to manage stress, support emotional wellbeing, recognize important symptoms, improve your hospital stay and learn what screening tests you should have.
At the end of each of the talks I give in the community, I ask members of the audience to share the most important things they’ve learned with the most important people in their lives. In a healthy community, we share the responsibility of care – to support the health of everyone with whom we connect.
It is the beginning of a conversation about health that should be part of everyday discourse throughout our community – not just in medical clinics. When health is always on the top of your mind and on the tip of your tongue, you’re more likely to consider healthier choices and choose wellness.
Here are some tips to start your daily conversations about health.
“How’s your health?”
“How can I help?”
“What can we do together to improve our health, our families’ health and the health of our community?”
“How have you been eating? Do you know where you can find affordable high-quality produce?”
“Let’s go for a walk in the park (a bike ride, a swim or a hike).”
Join me in creating a healthier community. Let’s talk about health. Begin the conversation today.
Davidicus Wong is a family physician and his Healthwise columns appear regularly in this paper. For more, see his website at www.davidicuswong.wordpress.com.
