The celebration of World Health Day on April 7 is already at the door. A date that was instituted within the framework of the commemoration of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) itself and that this year reminds us of the importance of taking urgent measures to maintain the health of people and the planet, as well as encourage a change so that societies care regarding well-being.
On previous occasions, within this same space, I have touched on the topic of integral well-being, that condition that allows us to be and feel good through the care of the different areas of the person, such as the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
It is clear that it is important to work on all these aspects, before which the doubt may arise regarding how we can begin to materialize this well-being. From my perspective, a vital aspect is taking care of one’s own physical health and, more specifically, betting on disease prevention.
Consciously we know that health is one of the most important issues in life, however in practice, many people do not take care of it until there is discomfort, or as the saying goes: “After the drowned child They cover the well.”
As an example of the above, it is very unfortunate that in our country, for several years, most of the causes of death have been preventable diseases, with the exception that following the arrival of the pandemic, deaths from covid-19 were placed on the first site.
However, in 2021 alone, preventable conditions such as heart disease were the second leading cause of death in Mexico, only following those caused by the virus and followed by those caused by diabetes mellitus, both in men and women.
According to official figures, cardiovascular diseases caused more than 218,885 deaths in 2020. Of this total, 76.3% were due to ischemic heart diseases, that is, to the reduction of blood flow to the heart due to partial or total blockage of the arteries due to the accumulation of fat.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) itself reports that the risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases due to an unhealthy diet, which is characterized by a low consumption of fruits and vegetables and a high consumption of salt, sugars and fats. This contributes to obesity and overweight, which in turn are risk factors for CVD.
In addition to this, people who do not get enough physical activity are between 20% and 30% more likely to die prematurely than those who do enough physical activity. Therefore, physical inactivity is a key risk factor for the development of CVD, cancer and diabetes. In addition. It is estimated that exposure to tobacco products is responsible for 10% of all deaths caused by CVD.
In addition to all the ravages in the body, the lack of attention in health care affects the economic and productive sphere. It is estimated that heart disease in Mexico has a total cost of 6.1 billion dollars and accounts for 4% of all health spending.
Regarding patients with diabetes, the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness AC (IMCO) calculates that the social costs amount to more than 85 billion pesos a year. Of this figure, 73% corresponds to expenses for medical treatment, 15% to income losses due to work absenteeism and 12% to income losses due to premature mortality.
Let’s not throw this information on deaf ears, let’s better bet on health from the prevention of these diseases through three priority axes: eat well, move more and take care of thoughts.
To do this, we try to eat foods high in fiber and low in cholesterol such as vegetables and fruits, in general take care of adequate nutrition. Let’s also do physical activity on a regular basis and of course, let’s take care of our emotions to avoid stressful situations, within which it will be ideal to explore our own spirituality. Also, let’s not sacrifice the hours of rest, such as sleeping enough hours, since adequate sleep allows the body to renew and recover.
Let’s not underestimate that comprehensive well-being begins with health and its care is in our hands.