TEACHERS

HEALTH and
WELLBEING

DR. BERNICE DYER-REGIS

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
ST AUGUSTINE

LEADING HEALTH ISSUES

Chronic Non-communicable Diseases

(CNCDs)
Hypertension
Heart disease
Diabetes mellitus
Cancers
Stroke

LIFESTYLES AS RISK
FACTORS
A risk factor is a health
behaviour
or
a
personal
characteristic that has been
associated with a particular
disease

CNCDs RISK FACTORS

CNCDs share underlying risk factors
Physical inactivity/lack of exercise
Diets low in fibre and high in fat/salt
Excessive body fat (obesity)
Tobacco use/cigarette smoking
Excessive alcohol intake(3 or more
drinks per day)
psycho-social stress

FIBRE:
HEALTHY EATING

Insoluble fibre:

- skins of fruits and vegetables

- bran (outer coating) of wheat, corn
- hasnt been found to lower
cholesterol
- helps prevent cancer of the colon
and rectum
- useful in weight control

FIBRE:
HEALTHY EATING contd

Soluble fibre:

- helps lower cholesterol and prevent

heart disease
- dissolves and thickens in water to
form gel
- found in oats, peas, beans, carrot,
ochroes, guava, papaw,
ground provisions, citrus fruits

FATS
Too much leads to:
- obesity which increases risk of
diabetes, hypertension
- cancer of the colon, prostate, breast
- hardening and blockage of blood
vessels leading to heart attack and
stroke

FATS contd
Saturated fat:
- used by the liver to manufacture
cholesterol
- most dangerous kind of fat (raises
cholesterol levels, particularly LDL)
- e.g meats, butter,cheese,ice cream,
palm oil, coconut oil

FATS contd
Unsaturated fats:
- dont appear to raise blood
cholesterol levels
- vegetable oils and margarine
- soybean, corn, canola, olive and
sunflower oils

FATS contd
Trans fats:
- a by-product of hydrogenation
- structurally similar to saturated fat
- raises total and LDL cholesterol
levels
- e.g stick margarine and fats found in
commercially prepared cakes, cookies
and snack foods

FATS : HEALTHY EATING

Eat generous amounts of high fibre foods

Eat less meat/use lean meat/remove skin
Boil, bake, roast or steam
Eat more fish
Fry less
Use skimmed milk, low fat yogurt
Use less butter or margarine on bread
Use very little oil in cooking
Buy fewer fast foods

CHOLESTEROL
Waxy, fat-like compound in food from
animal sources
High level of fat intake leads to high
level of cholesterol (above 200mg/dl)
Too much in the blood narrows arteries
resulting in heart attack and stroke

CHOLESTEROL: HEALTHY
EATING

Eat smaller portions of meat and chicken

Increase the amount of fish eaten
Eat plenty of legumes(peas and beans)
Eat generous quantities of high fibre fruits
and vegetables
Go easy on eggs, shellfish and fried foods
Lose weight if too fat and exercise regularly

CHOLESTEROL: HEALTHY
EATING contd
FISH
a good source of omega-3 fatty acids that
benefit the heart of healthy people, and those
at high risk of or who
have cardiovascular disease
Two servings a week -each serving is 3.5 ozs
cooked/ cup of flaked fish.
Salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and
albacore tuna

FOLLOW THE NATURAL LAW

OF EATING
If you get more energy than you burn up
you gain weight.
If you get exactly the amount of energy that
you burn up your weight stays the same.
If you get less energy than you burn up you
will lose weight.

IDEAL DIET
Fats, oils and sweets should be eaten
sparingly
3-5 daily servings of vegetables
(ground provisions 3-4)
2-4 daily servings of fruit
2-3 servings of foods from animals
2-3 servings of nuts and legumes
6-9 servings of cereal

OBESITY
Obesity is an excess of body fat
Obesity is more a consequence of
inactivity than of overeating
Diet and exercise facilitate more
permanent fat loss than diet alone

OBESITY contd
Skipping meals is not effective for longterm weight management.
Taking one big meal instead of eating
moderately throughout the day makes you
put on more weight, due to increased fat
production.

PHYSICAL EXERCISE
Everybody needs exercise irrespective
of age, sex, fatness or thinness
Exercise for the proper functioning of
heart, lungs, muscles, joints and the
mind
Exercise for physical fitness and feeling
of well being

PHYSICAL EXERCISE
Exercise reduces risk of diabetes, heart
disease, hypertension and some
cancers
Exercise assists with weight
management and prevents obesity
Lean tissue is gained during exercise

PHYSICAL EXERCISE
Exercise: 20-30 minutes, 3 or more
times a week for cardiovascular fitness
Regular physical activity is more
important than intensity
Brisk walking, jogging, swimming,
cycling, skipping

SMOKING
Cigarette smoking raises the risk of
developing diabetes
Increases the risk of complications of
diabetes such as heart attacks, strokes,
and serious circulation problems in the
feet and legs

SMOKING
Quitting Tobacco Use
GET READY:
Set a quit date and stick to it - choose a
good time to quit (smoking journal?)
Make some changes - get rid of
ashtrays, lighters, the smell of smoke
If tried in the past, review attempts
Once you quit, dont even take a puff

SMOKING
Quitting Tobacco Use
GET SUPPORT:
Health professional
Tell friends, talk to ex-smokers
Encourage smokers in the home to quit
with you
Join a support group
Get counselling

ALCOHOL USE
Moderate drinking may be defined as
drinking that does not generally cause
problems, either for the drinker or for
society.
A given dose of alcohol may affect
different people differently.

ALCOHOL USE contd

In excessive amounts, alcohol can
damage heart muscles
Even small amounts of alcohol
consumption are associated with an
increase in blood pressure

ALCOHOL USE contd

Benefits of moderate drinking:
decrease the risk of death from co ronary
artery disease (CAD)
reduce stress, promote conviviality and
pleasant and carefree feelings
decrease tension, anxiety, and selfconsciousness.

ALCOHOL USE contd

Risks of moderate drinking:

Stroke caused by bleeding

Interactions with medications
Birth defects
Recovering alcoholics -relapse

ALCOHOL USE contd

The U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (2) define moderate drinking as
no more than:
one drink a day for most women
two drinks a day for most men.

ALCOHOL USE contd

A standard drink is generally considered to
be:
12 oz/355 mls of beer (TT bottle=275 mls)
5 oz of wine
1.5 oz of 80-proof distilled spirits
(TT rum/whiskey 40% vol).
Each of these drinks contains roughly the
same amount of absolute alcohol.

LEISURE TIME
How do we define leisure?
Does leisure equal increased food intake?
Increased alcohol consumption?
Increased high risk behaviour?

LEISURE TIME contd

Leisure should have a positive effect on
Health: Mentally Through relaxation and
exercise of the mind
Physically Healthy and safe physical
activity
Low Risk - Enhances Health

CNCDs SUMMARY
Diabetes predisposes persons to heart
attack and stroke
Moderate amounts of exercise protect
against heart attack
High blood pressure doubles the risk of
heart attack
Elevated total cholesterol in the blood
contributes to the development of heart
attack and stroke

OTHER HEALTH ISSUE

HIV & AIDS
HIV is spread through heterosexual sex.
Anyone of any age, race, sex or sexual
orientation can be infected

HIV & AIDS contd

You are at greatest risk of HIV if you:
Have unprotected sex - without using a
new latex or polyurethane condom every
time.
Are an uncircumcised man.

HIV & AIDS contd

The risk increases if you have:
multiple sexual partners.
another STI - many sexually transmitted
infections (STIs) produce open sores on
your genitals which act as doorways for
HIV to enter your body.

INVEST IN YOUR HEALTH

Take charge of your health
Mentally stress management; leisure time
Socially - building and maintaining
relationships
Spiritually - connecting with a greater
being
Physically - nutrition and exercise;
scheduled health screening

THE END

THANK YOU