World Heart Day, Sunday 30 September 2007

"Team Up for Healthy Hearts!"

World Heart Day, Sunday 30 September 2007

Heart disease and stroke is the world's largest killer, claiming 17.5 million lives each year.

That's why World Heart Day was created, to create public awareness of risk factors for heart

disease and stroke and to promote preventive measures.

World Heart Day is arguably the most successful, consistent and focused campaign against

heart disease and stroke undertaken around the globe. The World Heart Federation, a small

NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland, created the annual campaign in the year 2000 to increase

public awareness of the threat of heart disease and stroke and the importance of a heart-healthy

lifestyle, so that children and adults all over the world, and especially in the developing world, can

live better, longer lives.

Each year World Heart Day focuses on a specific theme. This year's campaign encourages people

to "Team Up for Healthy Hearts!" as a reminder of how families and communities can play an important

role in helping individuals to reduce their risk for heart attack and stroke by focusing on areas such as

unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and tobacco use.

The Challenge

Heart disease and stroke is the world's largest killer, claiming 17.5 million lives a year. Eighty per

cent of these lives are from people in low- and middle-income countries, increasingly amongst

those of working age. The good news is that heart disease is largely preventable and there are

low cost and straightforward steps that can be taken to reduce the major risk factors. Controlling

these helps the heart to age more slowly and dramatically reduces the risk of heart disease.

The World Heart Federation has the following tips to help protect people and their families

from heart disease and stroke:

1. Encourage everyone to eat well-balanced meals, including (steamed, boiled, grilled or baked)

lean meat, fish, vegetables, pulses, fruit and low fat products.

2. Provide at least five daily servings of vegetables and fruit.

3. Offer water, low fat milk or fresh, unsweetened fruit juices to drink rather than soft drinks.

4. Include fruit or vegetables in your children's school lunch or snack. Convince your child's friend's parents to do likewise. Get their teacher's support to put healthy eating on the classroom agenda.

5. Make sure you don't consume excess salt, especially through processed foods.

6. Plan more family activities outside. Add 30 minutes of regular physical activity

daily and build physical activity into day-to-day chores. Take the stairs rather than

the lift, for instance.

7. Make your home smoke-free and try to ensure that your children don't smoke or experience tobacco smoke anywhere else.

8. Limit screen time. Keep the TV or computer off as much as possible and make

sure your children's leisure time is packed with plenty of physical activity. Why

not go with your child to school by foot or bicycle.

9. As a family member, set a good example by eating healthily, being physically

active on a regular basis and by not smoking.

10. If you think anyone in the family is at risk of heart disease, check with your health professional.

--
Dr Marwah