Can You See Your Toes?
I nearly missed World Health Day. Fortunately, with so many tweeting about it, I was not allowed that mistake. As it turned out, Terrific Thursday, as someone labelled it, was a bonanza day for raising concerns about health.
However, most tweets were about individual health topics and did not address world health problems. The day could have been called My Individual Health Day.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) was allowed to sneak in snippets of news about disasters, epidemics and serious health challenges around the world. The odd map showing the scale of the calamities drove home their message. Statistics illustrated the frightening growth of life-lessening or life-threatening health issues.
Ploughing through statistics is like looking at wild lion caged in a zoo and trying to accept that the lethargic-looking beast is a lethal powerhouse of savagery and death. The statistics prove the point, but I need evidence in front of my eyes or the statistics do little to persuade.
The WHO statistics on obesity and diabetes are backed up by the evidence in front of my eyes, every day.
The messages from the WHO were drowned out by the cacophony of noise from the other tweets that failed to address questions about world health because they tried to turn my eyes to my personal health. I gathered some benefit from their efforts.
I know where to go to find guidance on healthy eating habits. I understand that with muscle development I either use it or lose it. I came across offers to sell me unique formulae, distinctive potions and home made remedies to improve my body and mind beyond my capabilities.
I was given contact details for the Birmingham prostate clinic where they effortlessly remedy bladder, penile or urethral conditions. Vegans and vegetarians were well represented with arguments in support of their food orientations. I was not clear why one of them showed a lion eating meat. I was momentarily disgusted by the description on one site warning of meat rotting as it travelled slowly through my intestines increasing my risk of colon cancer. Was my grandmother right when she said to eat slowly and properly digest my food?
Young, scantily clad ladies selling their personal fitness regimes as a way of achieving supreme fitness, left me tired and miserable at the thought of all the exercise needed. Montsanto’s herbicide took a battering. I found suppliers who would whiten my teeth, and with a few hours training they would certify me to provide such an orthodontic service in my garage for the neighbours.
Yoga, meditation, new religions and how to find organic health foods were well represented. The thought of their benefits left me feeling sleepy.
Big organisations muscled in on the act. The BBC Good Food channel weighed in on the side of healthy recipes – they have many of them. The GAA, Irelands unique guardian of national sports and traditions, advised its members on diabetes and the Royal Ballet were eager to tell us how they deal with injury. Apparently, ballet dancers have more than their fair share of injury. The energetic way they run, jump and throw each other around can have a down side. It was surprising the FA was absent from the pages considering the number of footballers who are injured on a weekly basis, even when you discount the numbers due to acting technique rather than genuine injury.
Mental health had a few mentions, but scarcely enough to draw attention to an issue of major concern for many families and especially those dealing with mental health issues among the young.
The majority of contributions on World Health Day were about ‘my health’. Surely not the focus of a World Health Day, unless my attention is turned to what I could do to ease, resolve or avoid the dangers being advertised.
With life expectancy of 50 years in some countries and with the increase of life-lessening diseases everywhere, could we not put a bit more thought into eliminating the causes of bad health instead of navel gazing, where the sight of an ever-increasing middle-spread stops us looking beyond our individual preoccupations?
I miss the point of World Health Day if my only response is to wonder why I can’t see my toes when I look down.
