After a bruising match where the team is thoroughly thumped, it is common for the coach to call his team together and review the videos, try to understand what caused the mistake, and learn from them how to improve next time around.
The health-care industry is losing the game when it comes to beating non-communicable diseases, such as atherosclerosis, chronic lung disease, diabetes, obesity, auto-immune conditions, cancer and dementia, among many others.
Yes, we may achieve goals here and there, but overall we are in a losing game.
The incidences of these diseases is rising, not only in developed countries, but globally. In fact the incidences of obesity and diabetes (among women) is rising at a rate faster in South Africa than in North America. Some pretty sombre words have been expressed by health authorities and researchers about the enormous burden these diseases are already placing on the human and financial resources of our country, and our capacity to meet increasing demands in future.
It is time to “get back to basics” and rethink our strategies. We need to ask some penetrating questions. Why are these diseases more prevalent now than they were 20 or 30 years ago? What has changed? Obviously it is not genetic factors, as these are still the same. Could it be lifestyle behaviours? Does it have something to do with sedentary living, diet, stress, lack of sleep, social isolation and upheaval, use of addictive substances, environmental pollution?
The good news is that the research has been and continues to be done. And as important as sophisticated medicines and surgeries are in managing complications of these diseases, and slowing their progress, those interventions are not dealing with the underlying causes.
Diabetes is not caused by a deficiency of Metformin, but by various lifestyle behaviours that undermine normal physiology. Our bodies are exquisitely designed to thrive for health and healing. But we need to care for them responsibly and intelligently.
The purpose of this series is to get “back to basics” and individually take control of our health destinies. We will share what researchers tell us are the causes, and what simple evidence-based interventions are available for us to restore health and vitality.
We can each embark on a journey of personal discovery and recovery.
V This health column is written by Dr Dave Glass, a retired obstetrician/gynaecologist living in Somerset West for just over a year. He is also chairperson of the South African Lifestyle Medicine Association (Salma). Glass, with a MBChB, FCOG(SA) and DipIBLM, has a passion for preventing and addressing the root causes of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, auto-immune diseases, obesity, dementia and cancer.
