The Covid 19 Pandemic has resulted in over 4.5 million deaths worldwide (September 2021)
This provides the ideal opportunity to consider one’s health as most of the deaths have occurred amongst the old or persons suffering from diseases associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, most of which are avoidable. (Obesity, Type2 Diabetes, Heart Diseases & the Dementias plus many others)
Lifestyle diseases?
A vastly increasing number of diseases are affecting the U.K. population both adults and children relating to overnutrition and under exertion. Unfortunately, this pandemic has developed slowly over past decades and threatens to overwhelm the NHS in addition to destroying individual sufferer’s health.
Obesity is a chronic relapsing disease which is never cured but can be controlled, acting as a gateway to a large range of metabolic conditions. Appetite and awareness of feeling full are inherited so fat shaming isn’t fair! Historically obesity was associated with affluence & fertility but is now recognised as a block to true health.
The fat are not gluttons, lazy or lack willpower but they have lost their homeostatic control of their fat mass that in the lean perfectly balances energy intake with expenditure. In the current developed & developing world, pleasure from overconsumption of energy dense junk (industrial) food drowns out the whisper of satiety signals “I am full.” We are in a truly terrifying place where overweight & obesity is the norm for the majority.
It is not a personal problem of making poor choices
However Fat blindness does need to be addressed. You do not wake up suddenly twenty kilograms heavier than when you went to bed and a tightening belt should mean something!
Unfortunately, half overweight adults think they are ok, half the obese think they may be a little overweight and unfortunately two thirds of parents of fat children think that they are fine.
Overweight and obesity currently affects over two thirds of the U.K. adult population and statistics for children are not much better. Obesity is known to vastly increases the risk of Heart disease, Hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes, Fatty liver disease amongst many other conditions. However, it’s association with at least thirteen increasingly common cancers is less well recognised.
Once developed obesity is extremely difficult to resolve and as with most diseases’ prevention is both better and easier than cure.
The risk of degenerative brain disease plus the scourge that is anxiety depression are significantly reduced by the adoption of a healthy eating pattern plus moving more.
How to avoid the Care Home!
Care home residents fall into two major groups. Those suffering from frailty combined with sarcopenia (poorly functioning muscles) predisposing to falls and fractures and the second large group are sufferers from degenerative brain diseases such as the dementias, of which Alzheimer’s is the commonest but also includes Strokes and Parkinsonism. Whilst ageing is unavoidable the associated conditions are not but require an in-depth review of the way we live, relating to diet, activity, sleep & stress
Essential Health Assessment
A reasonably priced addition to the range of services available at the Woodland Clinic
Health is rarely discussed or evaluated as disease or disability appear to take precedence.
The early adoption of a healthy lifestyle should allow the current pandemic to be improved. Unfortunately, lifestyle change is incredibly difficult to maintain without information and support.
The assessment includes: –
A pre-appointment online questionnaire will enable full assessment of diet and activity as well as identifying significant current or past problems.
The clinic visit will be used to assess body composition with measurement of BMI, Waist circumference, body fat percentage with both calliper measurement and electrical impedance.
Resting pulse rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation will be measured.
Vital Signs (Rarely measured)
Grip strength is an extremely important measurement used to exclude Sarcopenia (poorly functioning muscles) but an age-related normal value reduces the risk of developing condition such as dementia, Type 2 diabetes, and heart failure!
Chair stand test
A low value on this testindicates a high risk of falls
Walking speed is another measurement that has huge prognostic value in avoiding future disease.
What is the Metabolic Syndrome? Why is it important!!
The diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome requires three of the following five criteria: –
- Waist circumference
<80 cms for women**
<94 cms for men**
** Racial origin alters normal range - Blood pressure
>130/85 - Fasting glucose
>5.6 mmol/litre - HDL
>1.3 mmol/litre for women
>1.03 mmol/litre for men - Triglycerides
>1.7 mmol/litre
It is associated with marked tissue inflammation and increased blood clotting. The presence of the metabolic syndrome vastly increases the risk of all the common diseases relating to an unhealthy lifestyle.
Understand why being fat causes insatiable hunger, exhaustion and feeling low. (Learn about Leptin, fast twitch fibres & dopamine)
Ample time will be allowed to enable full discussion of current identified problems, with an agreed plan for future management with ongoing support.
Terms you should use & understand at the end of your appointment: –
- The three types of Appetite control
- Metabolic resistance (Why most subjects on a diet have relapsed by the end of two years)
- How to lose fat not weight.
- Anabolic resistance (Why it is harder to maintain muscle function as we age)
- Metabolic flexibility (Fuels that you can and should use to provide energy)
- NOVA Classification of food & why industrial (junk) food must be avoided.(Would halve childhood obesity!)
- Immunosenescence & Inflammaging (Why old age may not be fun!)
- Autophagy (Why constant grazing isn’t great!)
- Eating patterns how to choose the right one for you!
- An activity prescription that works!
Health Tips
Never smoke
Avoid alcohol (sorry there is no safe amount for health!)
Eat real food, plant rich, not too much nor too often and avoid food waste
Move quite a lot
Lift your body using both your arms & legs (push-ups & stair climbing)
Sleep well
Enjoy the outdoors
Learn something new each day
Relax!
Enjoy your friendships
Please contact for an appointment :-
health@thewoodlandclinic.co.uk
