 |
| Source: www.wta.org |
Every
year, the World Health Organization selects a priority area of global public
health concern as the World Health Day theme. This year’s World Health Day focuses on high blood pressure
(hypertension), a condition that affects more than one in three adults
worldwide, leads to heart disease and contributes
to more than nine million deaths every year. Sustainable living practices should help prevent and control
high blood pressure in the cases where medication is not needed.
You can
take good care of your heart and protect the environment at the same time:
- Quit smoking. Smoking is not only one of the main factors leading to arteriosclerosis but cigarettes are also the most littered item worldwide. Cigarette butts are not biodegradable. Also, cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals that, according to an Italian study, pollute the air ten times more than a diesel car exhaust.
- Start biking and walking. Being overweight or obese and not getting enough physical activity all contribute to high blood pressure. Using a bike or walking from A to B can help strengthen your heart and reduce your carbon footprint.
- Get in touch with nature. Stress is also a contributor to high blood pressure. Numerous recent studies have shown how hiking and outdoor activities can have a positive effect on reducing stress and increasing wellbeing. Being close to nature helps improve your health and build environmental awareness.
What can
be more powerful than sharing the benefits of a more sustainable lifestyle? People tend to react more to positive
results - especially on health issues - than to negative statistics, e.g.
showing the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation.
Perhaps
this is an opportunity to reframe the healthcare system through the lens of
sustainability and change people’s behaviour towards environmental protection
by tackling personal health issues.
Follow
World Health Day news on Twitter this Sunday #worldhealthday.
Blog by Zoe Volioti
No comments:
Post a Comment