AFTER the past few years, it’s more important than ever to put your health first.
The nation has had to contend with Covid, nurse strikes, an outbreak of Strep A, the worst flu season in a long time and record high ambulance waiting lists and response times.
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Ensuring you are fighting fit – physically and mentally – can help stave off illness and disease and reduce pressure on the NHS.
Because prevention is better than cure, we’re launching our Health Kick series to help you achieve a healthier lifestyle in 2023.
First, we wanted to know what really matters to you.
What are the health concerns that keep you up at night and need more help?
We asked 860 readers to take our Sun Health poll to bring you the right tips to make your life easier.
We ran the results past Dr Rachel Ward, from Woodlands Medical Center Didcot, Oxfordshire.
She said: “The survey reflects the concerns and issues I see as a GP every day.
“We know obesity is a huge health problem because it significantly increases the risk of many serious diseases, including diabetes, cancer, stroke and heart attack.
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“Unsurprisingly 61 per cent are overweight or obese – and this is in line with national figures. Interestingly, only 48 percent therefore plan to lose weight in 2023.
“A worrying 37.9 percent think their children are overweight or obese.”
“Teaching your child good eating habits is one of the best lessons you can teach him. One of the best ways to improve your health is regular exercise.
“A 20-minute walk outside, brisk enough to get your heart rate up, is a great starting point.
“Seventy-five percent have sex less than once a week.” Almost half of them blame it on being tired or lack of time.
“Increasing your sexual activity is great for getting your heart rate up and boosting your endorphins and mood.” It will also improve your energy levels.
“Unsurprisingly, but sadly, almost half of respondents reported mental health problems. There has been a huge increase in this through the pandemic and now that we are facing a cost of living crisis.
“And more than half of parents were concerned about their children’s mental health.” I encourage them to seek help for their children as there are many organizations offering support for you and your family that you can be referred to.”
Over the next four weeks, Sun Health will use the survey results to help you make positive changes.
Let’s start by looking at the state of health of Sun readers. . .
- Throughout January, our Health Kick series will dive into the worlds of nutrition, fitness, mental health, family health and sleep.
