382 million. That's the number of people living with diabetes worldwide today. And by the year 2035, 592 million people will have this disease. Diabetes is a chronic condition where the body does not metabolize sugar properly. As a result, sugar which is our main energy source, remains in the blood causing other complications like kidney disease, nerve damages, and heart diseases. However, most cases of diabetes and the complications that arise from this disease can be avoided through healthy lifestyles.
There are two startling facts about breast cancer - it is reportedly the second most common type of cancer women are diagnosed with and 1 in 8 women who are born in this country will get breast cancer at some point in their lives. However, it has been found that an early diagnosis is the best way to beat this disease.
17.3 million. This is the number of people who died globally in the year 2005 due to heart disease and stroke. This number represents 30 percent of global deaths. And this number is expected to hit 23 million by the year 2030. In order to bring about awareness about this disease which is the biggest cause of deaths worldwide, the World Heart Federation created World Heart Day in 2000. Ever since, September 29th is recognized as World Heart Day. One of the main aims of this day is to promote preventative measures that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
September 27th marks the 18th annual Family Health & Fitness Day. This day is the nation's largest family event where thousands of families across the country participate. The primary goal of this day is to get families involved in fitness related activities, encouraging them to exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle. FHFD also gives families an opportunity to try out the various fitness programs offered by the local community.
Today is the 13th annual National Women’s Health & Fitness Day. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 women of all ages are expected to participate in fitness related activities all over the country on this day. It has been reported that more than 1,000 groups across the country will host women’s health and fitness events at senior centers, hospitals, health clubs, park and recreation districts, local health and service organizations, schools, retirement communities, houses of worship, and other community locations.
In the year 2000, the United States Department of Agriculture proclaimed that August 4th - August 10th would be National Farmers Market Week. Ever since, for that one week farmers markets all over this country host special events like cooking demos, live music etc. to join the celebration. Farmers market is an integral part of our life today. It is a space that links urban life to farm life. Consumers get direct access to food fresh off the farms, while farmers can sell their produce directly eliminating the middle man.
The moment you hear a beat you bust a move. Granted you may not ‘move like Jagger,’ but you continue anyway. That’s because you are hardwired to move. You have an instinctual response to rhythm and when you put movement and music together you create dance, which is truly an expression of your spirit. And on July 26th everyone has a reason to dance as it is National Dance Day (NDD).
The Healthy Kids Virtual Summit was created by Jamie Boggeln in 2014. The Summit is a series of free informational videos that parents, teachers, caregivers or anyone interested can access. These videos contain information from experts on topics such as meal planning, nutrition, health and fitness among others. #healthykidsvirtualsummit
The ideal retirement snapshot usually has a beautiful house by the beach with an older couple sitting on the porch watching the sunset. But this picture would only truly be complete if the couple were in good health. In order to make such pictures real, for the past 20 years the last Wednesday in May has been dedicated to promoting health and fitness among older adults.
Gastric bypass and Lap banding. Most of us know that these phrases refer to weight loss in some way. These are actually the most common weight loss surgeries performed today.
How did such words creep into our conversations? The answer to that lies in the most recent statistics published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that says more than one-third of adults, 34.9%, in America are obese.