uestion…What’s ailing Canadians?Q

How understanding recent Canadian health care trends

can help your business.

Ois for Obesity

Obesity

• At least 25% of Canadian adults have a BMI >30 (Obese)

Obesity

• What about Canadian kids?• 31% of children ages 5 to 17 are overweight or obese. • 19.5% of boys and 6.3% of girls ages of 5 to 11 are obese.• Study reveals that children who are treated for ADHD with medication

are more likely to have higher BMI as adults. The effect was stronger the earlier the child was started on ADHD medication.

Why? • Easy to get calories (fast and processed food).• Playing video games.• Watching television.• Fewer outside activities.• No exercise.

Obesity

• How are Canadians measuring up? • Body mass index (BMI)

• Calculated as weight in kg divided by height in metres squared.• Below 18.5 is underweight; 18.5 – 24.9 is normal;

25 – 29.9 is overweight; 30+ is obese.• Waist-to-height ratio

• Your waist measurement (right above your hip bones where the love handles are located) should be less than 50% of your height.

Obesity

How much you should eat is all in your hands…but we don’t mean like this.

Obesity

Use your hands to estimate appropriate portions.

• Fruits/Grains & Starches – a portion is the size of your fist.

• Vegetables – a portion is as much as you can hold in both hands.

• Meat and alternatives – a portion is the size of the palm of you hand and the thickness of your little finger.

• Fats – limit to an amount the size of the tip of your thumb.

Obesity

What can be done to reduce your risk?• Healthy eating

• 1,000 – 1,200 calories/day for women.• 1,200 – 1,600 calories/day for men.• Reduction of 500 to 1,000 calories/day = 1 to 2 pound

weight loss.• Portion control.

• Physical activity• To lose weight, look at doing 5 hours of moderate-intensity

activity/week (children need 60 minutes every day).• Break it down into shorter periods of at least 10 minutes

each.• Lifestyle changes

• Go for a walk at lunch.• Turn off the TV and go for a brisk walk or bike ride.• Join and go to a gym.• Get a workout buddy.

Dis for Diabetes

Diabetes

• Diabetes is a disease in which the body cannot produce insulin or cannot properly use the insulin it produces.

• This leads to high glucose (sugar) in the blood and if left untreated or improperly managed, may lead to disease of the heart, kidney, eyes or nerve damage.

Diabetes

True Story: A client tested positive for sugar in the urine sample. He said “Oh, I just ate a chocolate bar. That’s why there’s sugar in the urine.” It doesn’t work like that. One chocolate bar would not produce sugar in the urine that quickly.

True Story: I went to visit an elderly Italian client. When I told her that there was a little sugar in her urine sample, she said in her cute Italian accent, “Come backa tmorra, no suga tmorra.” My reply was “There is gunna be some suga tmorra!”

Diabetes

• There are 3 types of diabetes:• Type 1

• Pancreas is unable to produce insulin. • Usually diagnosed in children and young adults.

• Type 2• Pancreas does not produce enough insulin / body

does not effectively use it. • Gestational

• Temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy.

Diabetes

• In 2008/2009, almost 2.4 million Canadians (6.8%) had diabetes.• >50% were between the ages of 25 and 64.

• Type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases.• Prevalence of diagnosed diabetes increased by 70% since

2008/2009. The greatest increase for those ages 35 to 44.• Today, there are more than 60,000 new cases yearly.• Just under 50% are people between the

ages of 45 and 64.• 9 out of 10 people with diabetes have type 2.

• Obesity is a major contributor to diabetes.

Diabetes

• Prediabetes• An “early alert system”.• Blood glucose (sugar) levels that

are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.

• Taking steps to manage your blood glucose when you have prediabetes can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from developing.

Diabetes

• Underwriters will consider:• Type and severity of diabetes. • Length of time since diagnosis.• How well the disease is controlled.• Presence or absence of complications.• Family history.• May order HgbA1c test to recheck

blood sugars.

Ask your client to: Know their blood sugar levels from their last appointment with their

doctor. Take medications as prescribed.

Diabetes

What can be done to reduce your risk?• Maintain a healthy weight.

• Weight has the single biggest impact on diabetes risk.• Eat a healthy diet.

• Do eat whole-grain foods; oatmeal; colourful fruits and vegetables like broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, watermelon, berries; lean protein like fish, poultry, lentils, nuts and seeds.

• Don’t eat foods high in salt, soda or sugary drinks, saturated and trans fats found in fried foods, salad dressings, whole milk, pastries.

• Portion control.• Get physical.• Don’t smoke. • Know the risks of alcohol.

• The less you drink, the more you reduce your risk.

Cancer

• There are over 200 different types of cancer.• All are characterized by cells that start

growing abnormally and spread to other parts of the body.

• Risk factors include:• Heredity (genetics).• Lifestyle choices.• Exposure to cancer-causing substances

(carcinogens) in the environment.

Cancer

Cancer

• Lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer are the most common types of cancer in Canada (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer).

• They account for 52% of all new cancer cases.

• On average over 500 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer every day.

• It mostly affects people age 50+.• 2 out of 5 Canadians will develop cancer during their

lifetimes.• 41% of women and 46% of men.

• 1 out of 4 Canadians are expected to die from cancer.• 24% of women and 28% of men.

Cancer

• 63% of Canadians diagnosed with cancer are expected to survive for 5 years or more after diagnosis.

Cancer

• It is estimated that smoking is responsible for 30% of all cancer deaths.

• 1/3 of cancers can be linked to diet, obesity and lack of exercise.

Cancer

What you can do to reduce your risk?• Don’t smoke. • Maintain a health body weight.• Eat a healthy diet.• Get physical.• Know the risks of alcohol.

• The less you drink, the more you reduce your risk. • Protect yourself from the sun.

• Don’t use tanning beds or lamps.• Get screened regularly. • See your doctor when your health changes.• Know your family’s cancer history.

Hypertension

• Also referred to as high blood pressure, it is a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding a systolic pressure above 140 with a diastolic pressure above 90.

• High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney failure.

Hypertension

• What are the signs?• Hypertension is largely a symptomless

condition. If you think there will be signs to warn you, think again.

• Myth busters • High blood pressure does not cause

headaches or nosebleeds. • It is not necessarily the cause of blood

shot eyes, facial flushing or dizziness.• You need to know your numbers!

Hypertension

• 1 out of 5 adults have high blood pressure.• 17.6% of Canadians are age 12 and older.• 18.4% for ages 40 to 59.• 53.2% for ages 60 to 79.

• High blood pressure and gender.

Hypertension

• 3.7% of young Canadians have a measured blood pressure that is considered borderline or elevated.

• Blood pressure is generally higher among overweight and obese children and youth.

Hypertension

• 1 out of 5 adults (20%) have blood pressure readings in the high normal range and are considered pre-hypertensive .

Hypertension

What you can do to reduce your risk?• Know if high blood pressure runs in your family.• Know your numbers and have your blood pressure

checked regularly.• Monitor your condition and take medication as required

to keep it under control. • Maintain a health body weight.• Eat a healthy diet.• Get physical.• Know the risks of alcohol.

• The less you drink, the more you reduce your risk.

8 healthy lifestyle choices…

1. Be a non-smoker and avoid second-hand smoke.

2. Be physically active everyday.

3. Eat healthy foods.

4. Achieve a health weight.

5. Control your blood pressure.

6. Limit your intake of alcohol.

7. Reduce your stress.

8. Be screened and tested regularly.

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