Cathal Barry
Advances in modern medicine have led to a significant rise in the length of time people are living. That’s to be welcomed of course, but the improvement in healthcare shouldn’t mean people rest on their laurels with regard to their health.
We are now living two-and-a-half years longer than we did a decade ago, according to the Department of Health’s State of the Nation report for 2015. This is primarily due to better survival from heart disease and cancer.
The report stated that diseases of the circulatory system, including heart attack and stroke, are still the major cause of death, claiming one in three lives. However, these have fallen over the past 10 years.
The report also recognised that the advances in drugs as well as improvement in health services are contributing to our longer lifespans. However, many of our health gains are threatened by lifestyle habits – including smoking, drinking, lack of exercise and obesity.
There has been an 8% decline in the age-standardised death rate for cancer in the last decade and more recently a fall of 2.1% between 2013 and 2014.
Although the report confirms that women have a higher life expectancy than men, the overall difference is not significant. This, according to the report, is because women are living longer but with more health problems.
Interestingly, the report stated that a higher proportion of men rather than women are meeting the minimum exercise targets. However, women tend to be better than men at eating at least one serving of fruit or vegetables daily.
Exercise and nutrition are two of the key elements people need to take control of to improve their overall health.
Drugs
Healthcare and drugs are of course an important safety net, but prevention, to the best of one’s ability, is always better than cure. Avoiding illness should always be your first port of call.
Far too many people take their bodies for granted and rarely treat them with the level of respect they need and deserve. Smoking, excessive drinking, lack of exercise and eating heavily processed foods are all forms of abusing one’s body.
The good news is that most of these, to a certain extent, are in your control. For the majority of people, with the exception of those suffering from addictions, it is simply about cutting back, making smarter food choices and motivating yourself to exercise more.
All of these things are ultimately with a view to avoiding obesity, which is the primary cause of an endless list of adverse but avoidable health problems and diseases.
Exercise is a key component too. It’s one of the easiest and most effective ways of improving both your physical and mental health.
As well as lowering your risk of serious health problems, regular exercise can ease depression and anxiety, boost energy and mood and relieve stress.
You don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the beneficial rewards either. No matter your age or fitness level, there are endless enjoyable ways to use physical activity to help you feel better, look better, and enjoy life more. Give it a go!