Make healthy living a priority

WITH every new year comes new resolutions to change. High on the list of personal issues to tackle is often that of health. And with ten days already gone, Grenadians should be well on their way to setting out practical, achievable objectives to ensure they live a healthier lifestyle.

However, taking care of one’s health should never be a fad, as most resolutions often become. Healthy living should be long-term. The key to succeeding in this aspect of one’s life is being informed and having the necessary support. It is easier to make healthier food choices when one is aware of the content of the foods one eats, and easier to effect change through a workout routine when one knows the benefits of each exercise. A firm support system in family, friends, or others with similar goals is an added push for someone interested in becoming healthier.

Yet, healthy living should not be considered a merely personal objective since it has a major impact at the national level as well. Individuals’ change in behaviour would mean a reduction in lifestyle diseases like hypertension and diabetes, and the resulting complications like strokes, heart attacks and amputations. This would translate to a drastic reduction in the costs associated with treating these conditions, especially the expensive medications needed.

A more responsible attitude towards one’s personal health, and the subsequent reduction in cost as a result of the preventative stance being taken, would also allow for many planned improvements to the health-care system. The Grenada Government currently allots millions to the upkeep of health care – the last Budget presented in Parliament set aside over 67 million dollars for this sector. Health Minister Dr. Clarice Modeste-Curwen has already pointed to Primary Health Care Development, Health Financing, Infrastructural Development and Management Information Systems as the top four priorities for her ministry this year. All these plans, in addition to the existing changes being undertaken, would be better facilitated if funds are not being redirected to treating preventable lifestyle diseases.

In these tough economic times when everyone’s focus is on finances, healthy living can reduce long-term health-care expenses. It can also help to bring down the high food import bill, if local fruits and vegetables are grown in household gardens or purchased from local farmers for consumption. Finally, having a cleaner diet and more active life would certainly see improvements in one’s mental capacity, thus bringing benefits to other spheres of one’s life.

In this industrialised world where it is easier to live a decadent, yet sedentary lifestyle – the onus is still on the individual to do what is right daily and be responsible for their own health. We urge all Grenadians to take heed and make the right choices this year. Make healthy living a priority for 2014.