Reported in The Straits Times today (12 Jan 2009, page B4), "Screening programme found 38% had illnesses."
More than 1,700 people out of 4,500 who showed up for screening under the Health Promotion Board (HPB)'s Integrated Screening Programme, found out that they had diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
The report said, they would not have known if not for the screening programme offered at a subsidised rate of only S$8 per screen.
The HPB aims to diagnose these three most common chronic diseases early so that they can be treated to fore-stall life-threatening and costly complications such as heart disease and stroke.
An official praised the integrated screening programme but remarked that the poor response reflected "the nonchalant attitude of many Singaporeans towards looking after their own health". Many have the impression these medical conditions affect only others, not themselves, he added.
Another official, who thought the figures are "not too bad", speculated that people are not taking up the offer to be screened possibly because they are ignorant or complacent and under the erroneous belief that they are not at risk.
I was one of the 600,000 who received the invitation! I didn't go for it only because I already know my condition. I've been monitoring my lipid profile in the course of doing my health & nutrition business. The last time I checked my LDL is a healthy 99 - much improved from its previous 120-130!!! Thanks to Bios Life.
I wonder how many of those who didn't take up the invitation hesitated because they hold on to this often-repeated belief, "No news is good news".
I wonder too, how many of those who didn't take up the invitation hesitated because they know only too well that finding out about a problem would put them on the path of treatment - conventionally with medication, which they are smart and well informed enough to know comes with various side effects, some of which may have to be medicated in turn.
What if people knew that detecting the problem early allows them to take appropriate corrective action in a timely way, and that there are serious, workable alternatives to conventional medication that do not come with the side effects of conventional medication?
The conventional wisdom "no news is good news" is predicated on the premise that, becoming aware of a health problem may lead to other problems. What if they have the information that becoming aware of a problem can lead to a complete drug-free solution, that can blend into their lifestyle, instead of a solution that comes with other problems?
By the way, the statistics based on the 4,500 who showed up confirmed the ballpark cross-border statistics for those so-called "diseases" - high cholesterol, high bood pressure and high blood sugar. Whether it is in America, the Philippines or Singapore, 1 in 3 people who die, die because of heart attack or stroke or diabetic complications.
All the experts concede that those conditions that lead to such personal tragedies are by and large, PREVENTABLE.
Now that we're into nationwide detection, I hope some people in high places will be wise and well-informed enough, and not be blinkered by the intolerant, sometimes ideological, "pharmaceutical mindset", and instead, step up efforts to promote PREVENTION, and not just focus on TREATMENT which further enriches the trillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry.
And please, let's do better than do the dietitian mantra and preach THE BALANCE DIET. I remember a dietitian who in a public health talk, publicly declared that she does not believe in nutritional supplements, and that people do not need it so long as they maintain a balanced diet. So I raised my hand and asked her, "From your dietitian experience, how many percent of people can you reasonably expect to achieve and mantain the prescribed balanced diet?"
She refused to be committed to a percentage, but when prompted, she had to concede "less than half" ever get there. I should add a lot less than half!
In our ever-busy lives, made worse by dining out, processed food and inevitably unbalanced diet, nutritional supplements is the way. Supplements are a necessity, not a choice.
And because of vested interests, the pharmaceutical industry and their promoters do not want too many of us to get too smart and believe that. Where would their prescription drug business go if more and more of us get smart about taking care of our health?
We have always known this: Prevention is better than cure.
Now, let's get serious about practising it.
There are many good workable alternatives to conventional treatments. The information is all out there, if only you'd take the action to find out, instead of just taking the lazy way out and rely entirely on the doctor's advice.
Own Your Life! Take Charge!
Start by checking out www.bioslife.com, to find out about how a simple lifestyle change can alleviate even eliminate the risks associated with high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood sugar.
