Is
wellbeing the ultimate goal for all of us? Pause! Think about it. Are we
actually working against achieving it? Reasons: no time! Busy! Can’t help it!
Who are we giving this excuse?
It’s time
to turn around and make some drastic decision on disciplining ourselves, and
taking care of our body, mind and spirit. Why hesitate to know more about self?
Little more than what we did all this while.
Of the
attention we give to know more about the technology and improve our personality
and communication, a small percentage of time if we had given to the health of
our body-mind, today the increasing statistics of lifestyle problems such as
diabetes, hypertension, thyroid, high cholesterol, etc. would not have been so
alarming.
For
instance, Diabetes has already gained the status of a potential epidemic in
India with more than 62 million diabetic individuals currently diagnosed with
the disease. In 2000, India (31.7 million) topped the world with the highest
number of people with diabetes mellitus followed by China (20.8 million) and
the United States (17.7 million) in second and third place respectively. This
trend shows more and more youngsters are becoming prey to these problems. Unless
we build awareness and promote prevention at all levels - schools, colleges,
corporate, among public, the concern will continue to be less addressed.
Government, Community / associations, Corporate, health care sectors and
education centres, all have to support this cause to strongly influence the behavioral changing process among people. Then, is the doctor responsible for health or
illness?
Today,
changing habit is no more an option. Every youngster is a potential customer to
lifestyle disorders. Ideally for every one step taken forward, one has to take
two steps backward...think...and progress. IQ is increasing EQ is diminishing.
Most often, every development comes with a baggage of its negative impact.
Technology, communication, transportation and development, each of these has
its own impact on the health - mind, body and energy levels among people. Then
who should be responsible for restoring health? Is it only health care
providers?
In the name
of convenience, we have conveniently ignored the basic need to know about
ourselves better - lack of understanding the science of eating, science behind
fitness / movement, power of sub conscious mind, etc. In our country, these
were always a 'way of life' in the past. It was in our tradition. It was in our
culture. Today, we are relearning these in the name of SCIENCE, EVIDENCE base
or RATIONALE. We need proof to justify those that were practiced for thousands
of years. Traditional science had lot of values that probably were lost
eventually in the education system. Modern science has paved new path. If
that's the only path people can relate to, then why not teach old science in
modern style?
Government
of India has pronounced formulation of National Policy on Integrative Medicine
with a vision of taking up a leadership position in the global platform in this
endeavour. This step has large applicability to lifestyle disorders like
diabetes, hypertension, thyroid, PCOD, overweight, etc where medicine along
with professionally guided lifestyle modification go hand in hand to find a
long term solution. With this attempt, the better of two worlds (modern system
of medicine and Eastern system of medicine) comes together for a long-lasting
solution. This, largely provides benefits in reducing the dependency of
long-term medication, reducing the iatrogenic deaths and reducing progression
of risks and complications. How many of us love to live on medication -life
long?
Time to
wake up! Gear up! Bring in a difference to self and others! For every
constructive development, let us be aware and alert on its destructive impact,
be it technology, education or health care. While we focus on sustainable
environment, sustainable energy, let's work towards sustainable health. Let us
make our body a better place to live. Ultimately it’s our wellbeing, the only
that matters.
- -By Dr. Roopa Lakshmi (h.c), MD, WELLBEEING, Integrated Health
Center, Bangalore
website: www.wellbeeing.in
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