23/10/2025
PREVENTION OF CHRONIC DISEASE
- Advocating personal responsibility:
I enjoy listening to RNZ & have done so for many years but I find myself avoiding it now, due to the increasing number of conversations towards health disasters rather than promoting ways in which people can help themselves to be well.
This morning, a medical professional from the Charity hospital here in Southland, reported that there is an increasing number of 20-30 year olds being diagnosed with late stage colorectal cancers. This is tragic news but it was disappointing to hear him say "they have no idea" why there is such an increase in people and particularly young people, being diagnosed with bowel cancer when we have had evidence for many years that lifestyle choices impact significantly on our health and create about 80% of all chronic disease- including cancers. He went on to say, that modifying "lifestyle factors probably made no difference".
I think this approach is unhelpful to people listening, who may now think it doesn't matter what they eat or the fact that they don't exercise because chances are high they will get cancer at some stage in their lives, so they may as well give up trying to be healthy.
This is where personal responsibility comes in, something that needs to be shouted from the rooftops as our medical system is unable to cope with demand. Instead of worrying about getting RN's to do colonoscopies as was suggested, PLEASE let's turn our attention to PREVENTION.
Not only is prevention better than cure, but it also enhances the lives of the people, reduces the burden on our stretched health system and puts responsibility back where it belongs- in the lap of every New Zealander.
The Lancet published a study in 2019 that confirmed 74% of all deaths each year result from chronic disease and 80% of chronic disease is caused by our lifestyle choices which includes;
- nutritionally deficient diets high in carbohydrates, processed food ( it's called junk food for a reason), fat, salt & sugar; a lack of fresh fruit, vegetables, fibre and water
- lack of daily exercise & weight control
- poor stress management, mental health concerns including anxiety & depression
- inadequate rest, relaxation & sleep
- substance abuse; including to***co, alcohol & other street drugs
We are complex beings and every cell in our body (approx 30 trillion), is interdependent. To look at a person solely in terms of their bowel is to fail to see the connection between the many complex pathways that exist in our bodies including the Gut- Brain Axis, how the microbiome effects at least 70% of our immunity and how stress is usually held in the gut/ digestive system.
We must always consider ourselves holistically and view each client not from a "how can I cure this person" stance, but from a place of " how can I help this person feel empowered to make some changes to how they are living their life?"
Developing self awareness through mindfulness helps us to slow down, see what is happening in our lives and make positive changes for ourselves and our families.🥰
