listen to the little voice in your head

I went to the Southwest Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) first Quality Symposium on Thursday (torrential rains, high winds to drive through on the way to Stratford) & was impressed by the themes presented by a number of the speakers--including the provincial Minister of Health, the Honourable Deb Matthews, PhD (her background is demographics, how appropriate!). The "end-note" speaker was Steven Lewis (not to be confused with Stephen Lewis, who would have been equally at home there). But the messages of how to maintain universal healthcare in the face of the increasingly elderly demographic with multiple chronic health issues were reminders of that little voice in my head.

I am the Participaction generation, with medals to prove my ability, as a 10 year old, to be supremely (well, okay, reasonably) fit. But it got me into running, cycling and other activities that have remained part of my life--even if sometimes taking second or third place to other things, like having children and working/going to school.

As a wound care specialist, I have seen the effects of sedentary lifestyle, eating junk food,  high salt consumption, diet pop instead of water or milk, and cigarette smoking. I have patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, lousy circulation, sore joints (ankles, knees, hips) and sometimes joint replacements or other "corrective" surgeries. The majority of these individuals are overweight. And not by just 10 pounds or so, but what we politely call, "morbidly obese". Obesity is an epidemic, we all know, and it's not getting any better.

I look around and think, it's not that hard. When that little voice in your head says, "You don't really need to eat that" or " How about parking the car a block further so you can get some exercise" or " Yeah, that cough IS from smoking. You do need to quit before it kills you". It's time to say "YES, you're right!"

Last year, I listened to the little voice. I lost about 40 pounds, started to exercise (aquafit, yoga, cycling--things I enjoy) and WOW!! How much better do I feel? A million times better. I don't plan to be in that chronic illness demographic as I get older.

Do you?