My Father, who’s a very healthy 86, was telling me how most of his friends, at least the ones that still have all their marbles, or are still alive, have been encouraging him to slow down as he ages. They keep telling him. "all that exercise can't be good for someone your age". He said they've been suggesting this for almost a quarter of a century (at least the one's that are still alive). He thinks differently from most of his peers because he lives in a World where health is the highest daily priority. More from my Father in a minute.
“Knowledge is Power, but Action flicks the Switch”
When it comes to health, knowledge may be important, but if you do nothing with that information, what good is it? It takes action to make anything happen and it’s up to you to be proactive with your health.
All too often, people will go to the effort of visiting their doctor or medical lab for their annual check-up, let them poke, prod and obtain samples for evaluation, and after all that, won't even seek an interpretation of the results, or more importantly ask for a preventative healthcare action plan. It's up to you to direct your health professional for this kind of feedback and support, as they’re paradigm is to manage your illnesses, not your preventative health initiatives.
More specifically, doctors are compensated for treatments, not outcomes. It's one of the flaws within our current Healthcare model. Doctors are paid like "Bookies", they receive compensation regardless of the patient outcome to their treatment plan(s). Their compensation is NOT tied to the quality of your health, but the treatment of your medical condition(s). Let's be clear, doctors are NOT in the health business, they're in the illness business, whereby the actual outcome of your treatment is mutually exclusive from their earnings. Of the over 7000+ codes that doctors use for billing, not one relates to health results. My point is it’s entirely up to you to utilize your medical data and take action based on the results. It's also incumbent upon you to direct your familiy doctor, or other health professionals to align with your preventative health objectives and not just the management and treatment of medical conditions.
Unfortunately, it's been my experience that most people neglect their health and just wait for their poor lifestyle choices to catch up to them. How many times have you heard someone in their 40's, 50's or 60's say, "I've been pretty lucky with my health so far", as if luck had anything to do with their health. Believe me, luck has little to do with the quality of your health and there's plenty you can do to decrease or completely avoid many degenerative diseases. The reason most people adopt a lax attitude towards their health is because we live in world that reacts to issues, not prevent them. I've always said there are three types of people in the world:
- Those that "Make it Happen" (minority)
- Those that “Watch it Happen” (majority)
- Those that simply ask, “What Happened?”
Watch the video below to see what happens when there’s a shift from the “Watch it Happen” people to the “Make it Happen” people to demonstrate the point.
Because the majority of North Americans are NOT in control of their health (and the statistics get worse each year), it seems strange that these very same people are so blind-sided when presented with the news of an unexpected health crisis that could have been prevented through greater attention to their personal health. We all know that it requires commitment to maintain a healthy, fit body, however only a minority of North Americans take action to make this happen on a daily basis. Given this fact, the last thing these people want is someone pointing out that they have to change their ways and begin making positive lifestyle choices. This requires effort and commitment; something most "Watch it Happen" people will avoid at all cost. For most, this will require a quantum shift in the way they prioritize health and exercise into their daily life and because the long-term benefit isn't realized for decades, the short-term convenience of being lazy wins the day.
To demonstrate this mental shift, let me give you glimpse into my World:
There's an old saying that represents many North Americans and goes something like this, "I felt like exercising the other day, so I took a snooze until the feeling went away". My World is 180 degrees from this way of thinking, in fact if someone told me that I was forbidden to exercise for a week and I had to eat nothing but processed food, burgers, fries, pizza and drink Coca Cola, I would ask what I did to deserve such extreme punishment. Unfortunately, for most North Americans this is the "Bizarro World" they live in . I’ve lost count of how many times I've been told to “live a little” and skip the work-out, or eat the donut. It's as if we do live in different worlds. In their world, NOT exercising and eating unhealty food is the norm, while in my world the opposite is true.
Back to my father, (besides being 86, he also walk/jogs 10kms every day and consumes a very healthy diet. It's no surpise he's so healthy). He told me, the first thing he thinks about each day is when will he do his workout (remember, he's 86, so it's never too late to begin an exercise program). By comparison, many of my Father's peer group wake up each morning to a breakfast of pills and medication to treat their health related conditions. At a time when most of these seniors are either suffering from degenerative diseases, or struggling with mobility issues; my Father is still recording his daily 10km times, which he's done for decades. His only disappointment is that he’s not as fast as he was when he was a young guy (he considers 60 as young). He thinks this way because he lives in a "World" where healthy lifestyle choices are the norm, not the exception.
Enter the "healthy world"?
So how do you cross the chasm into this "healthy world" where daily exercise and eating well is natural and automatic? How do you become a “Make it Happen” person when it comes to your health? I have to be honest, if you don't think like this today, it's going to take time and commitment for this to become your norm, as old habits die hard. That said, you can start by following these three steps:
- Establishing your "Baseline" with a simple assesment of a few key health indicators
- Set both long-term goal with short-term health and fitness targets
- TAKE ACTION
Key Health Indicators:
- Body mass index (BMI)
- Waist circumference
- Risk factors for diseases and conditions associated with obesity
Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI is a useful measure of overweight and obesity. It is calculated from your height and weight. BMI is an estimate of body fat and a good gauge of your risk for diseases that can occur from higher body fat. The higher your BMI, the higher your risk for certain diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems, and certain cancers.
Although BMI can be used for most men and women, it does have some limits:
- It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build.
- It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle.
Use the BMI Calculator to estimate your body fat. The BMI score means the following:
Your Status |
BMI |
Underweight |
Below 18.5 |
Normal |
18.5–24.9 |
Overweight |
25.0–29.9 |
Obesity |
30.0 and Above |
The BMI calculator is also available in a mobile application. This tool provides results right on your iPhone (RIP: Steven Jobs) along with links to healthy weight resources on the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Web site.
Waist Circumference
Measuring waist circumference helps screen for possible health risks that come with overweight and obesity. If most of your fat is around your waist rather than at your hips, you’re at a higher risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This risk goes up significantly with a waist size that is greater than 35 inches for women or greater than 40 inches for men. To correctly measure your waist, stand and place a tape measure around your middle, just above your hipbones. Measure your waist just after you breathe out.
The table below from the NHLBI web site describes the Risks of Obesity-Associated Diseases by BMI and Waist Circumference and provides you with an idea of whether your BMI combined with your waist circumference increases your risk for developing obesity-associated diseases or conditions.
BMI |
Obesity |
Men 102 cm (40 in) or less |
Men > 102 cm (40 in) |
|
Underweight |
< 18.5 |
- |
- |
|
Normal |
18.5–24.9 |
- |
- |
|
Overweight |
25.0–29.9 |
Increased |
High |
|
Obesity |
30.0–34.9 |
I |
High |
Very High |
35.0–39.9 |
II |
Very High |
Very High |
|
Extreme Obesity |
40.0 + |
III |
Extremely High |
Extremely High |
Along with being overweight or obese, the following conditions will put individuals at greater risk for heart disease and other degenerative conditions:
Risk Factors
- Cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol (2 drinks a day for men, 1 drink a day for women)
- Physical inactivity ( less than 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week)
- High triglycerides (0.60 – 2.30 mmol/l)
- High blood pressure (see chart below)
Category |
Systolic |
|
Diastolic |
Normal |
Less than 120 |
And |
Less than 80 |
Prehypertension |
120–139 |
Or |
80–89 |
High blood pressure |
|
|
|
Stage 1 |
140–159 |
Or |
90–99 |
Stage 2 |
160 or higher |
Or |
100 or higher |
- High LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) (2.3 – 3.4 mmol/l)
- Low HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) (> 0.91 mmol/l)
- High blood glucose (sugar) (3.9 – 6.1 mmol/l)
- Family history of premature heart disease
For those who are considered obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30) or those who are overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9) and have two or more risk factors, it is recommended that you lose weight. You are a "Watch it Happen" person that's just waiting for the medicial crisis to knock on your door. People who are overweight, but do not have a high waist measurement, and have fewer than two risk factors may need to prevent further weight gain rather than lose weight. The good news is even a small weight loss (between 5 and 10 percent of your current weight) will help lower your risk of developing most degenrative diseases.
Take control of your health by making the conversation with your medical professionals interactive, engaging and meaningful, and they align with your long-term and short-term health and fitness objectives. Be honest with the truth that's uncovered and most importantly, TAKE ACTION, because if you don’t make time for your health today, you’ll have plenty time to be sick in the future.
Make it Happen and Enjoy the Ride
Rob
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