Health
Protecting your health is like saving for retirement. You know you should do it, but if you don’t, does it really matter?
Yes! The truth is that in both cases you can leave it until it’s too late to correct what you have done wrong. In the case of savings, it can be too late to save enough for retirement. In the case of your health, you can be seriously ill before you accept the need to change your habits.
Studies of the nutrition of New Zealanders indicate that a number of older people have poor diets and, as a result, their health suffers. Ageing is often associated with changes in lifestyle, which affect the foods we eat.
Loneliness, boredom, depression and worrying about the future can lead to us neglecting our diets, skipping meals and generally eating poorly.
A downward spiral of poor eating habits leads to poor nutrition and a further falling off of our physical and emotional well-being.
It is important to look at these factors in attempting to improve your diet, and if necessary, ask for outside help.
WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
A Ministry of Health report Tracking the Obesity Epidemic: NZ 1977-2003 showed the following:
- 31% of men and 33% of women were overweight in their early to mid 20s.
- 61% of men and 46% of women were overweight in their early to mid 30s.
- 66% of men and 47% of women were overweight in their early to mid 40s.
- 73% of men and 55% of women were overweight in their mid 40s and 50s.
To give you a guide to the healthy weight range for your height and body type, we have provided a weight management chart prepared by the New Zealand Guidelines Group and National Heart Foundation of New Zealand.
SCREENING TESTS
There are mixed views in the medical profession about screening tests, but we feel our screening test chart a useful guide to various tests you can discuss with your doctor.
The table identifies the tests and indicates how often they should be carried out, depending on your age, or family medical history. For New Zealanders, regular skin cancer checks are especially important.