V-Day not only 'heart' in February
Editorial
Issue date: 2/12/09 Section: Editorial
As it turns out, Valentine's Day is not the only reason to sport red attire this time of the year. February is also American Heart Month.
According to the American Heart Association Web site, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the U.S. Americans are the most overweight, overworked and overstressed people in the world and it's showing, in our arteries that is. According to the Centers for Disease Control Web site, "[In] 2009, an estimated 785,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack, and about 470,000 will have a recurrent attack."
Every 25 seconds, according to the CDC, an American will have a coronary event, and approximately one per minute will die from one.
A shift in priorities is imperative. Although part of heart health is genetic, there are lifestyle changes we can all make to avoid becoming another statistic.
Research shows Americans devote an average of 29 hours per week to TV. We at The Echo all have favorite shows, but we encourage you to keep non-active time to a minimum to make time for your health.
Not only does more time spent in front of the tube detract from time that might be spent engaging in physical activity, but the act of watching TV prompts mindless eating. When the TV is on, the mechanism that gauges whether we are hungry or satisfied is turned off.
Speaking of sleep, a story in the February edition of Glamour magazine suggests getting more shut-eye can prompt increased weight loss. Additionally, hitting the hay just a few hours early can add years to your life and increase energy on a daily basis.
Of course, one of the most efficient ways to increase cardiovascular health specifically is to exercise. Although the notion may sound somewhat cliché by now, exercise really is the best medicine for your heart and health in general.
According to statistics from the Bureau of Labor, Americans are the most overworked of all industrialized countries. Our social values constantly tell us that we are not good enough if we are not constantly striving to make more money and to have more material goods.
We are bombarded with hundreds, some reports suggest thousands, of advertisements each day encouraging us to spend money, often on arbitrary items. Whether it means reevaluating whether you are living to work or working to live, or simply taking more time to enjoy the journey, we at The Echo hope you will go out our a way to ensure your job does not consume your life, literally and figuratively.
According to the American Heart Association Web site, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the U.S. Americans are the most overweight, overworked and overstressed people in the world and it's showing, in our arteries that is. According to the Centers for Disease Control Web site, "[In] 2009, an estimated 785,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack, and about 470,000 will have a recurrent attack."
Every 25 seconds, according to the CDC, an American will have a coronary event, and approximately one per minute will die from one.
A shift in priorities is imperative. Although part of heart health is genetic, there are lifestyle changes we can all make to avoid becoming another statistic.
Research shows Americans devote an average of 29 hours per week to TV. We at The Echo all have favorite shows, but we encourage you to keep non-active time to a minimum to make time for your health.
Not only does more time spent in front of the tube detract from time that might be spent engaging in physical activity, but the act of watching TV prompts mindless eating. When the TV is on, the mechanism that gauges whether we are hungry or satisfied is turned off.
Speaking of sleep, a story in the February edition of Glamour magazine suggests getting more shut-eye can prompt increased weight loss. Additionally, hitting the hay just a few hours early can add years to your life and increase energy on a daily basis.
Of course, one of the most efficient ways to increase cardiovascular health specifically is to exercise. Although the notion may sound somewhat cliché by now, exercise really is the best medicine for your heart and health in general.
According to statistics from the Bureau of Labor, Americans are the most overworked of all industrialized countries. Our social values constantly tell us that we are not good enough if we are not constantly striving to make more money and to have more material goods.
We are bombarded with hundreds, some reports suggest thousands, of advertisements each day encouraging us to spend money, often on arbitrary items. Whether it means reevaluating whether you are living to work or working to live, or simply taking more time to enjoy the journey, we at The Echo hope you will go out our a way to ensure your job does not consume your life, literally and figuratively.
