Numbers

Numbers. A strange topic to talk about, but do you know yours?
Do you know what your resting blood pressure is? How about your resting and exercising pulses? WOuld you be able to tell me your last cholesterol levels, both good and bad kinds? What about a blood sugar reading?
DO you know what a PCR is or a FBG? Would you know what your uncorrected ( minus glasses) vision is?
I bet the one number you alway sknow is your weight!
I found all mine out when my clinic started their Wellness Clinics last May. Lucikly, even though I'm classified as obese ( GOd, I hate that word!), my cardiac values plus my glucose values are all excellent and more than within normal limits. I have no history of cardiac disease, diabetes, thyroid problems or any endocrine abnormalities. I'm just fat. I must eat good food not a lot of fast, high fat food, so I just get weight on, not bad blood values! Both, beleive me, are equally bad.
Knowing what your body is doing with regards to your blood values, is an important part of knowing how to go about changng your lifestyle habits from bad to good ones.
Eliminating high fat fast food, stopping smoking, eating more fruits and veges and fibrous foods, restricting alcohol, all these factors have been around for decades promoting better health. And yet as as society, Americans still have such terrible eating habits. Childhood obesity has just become a national concern of the First Lady's. It's been one of my concerns for years. I can't tell you how many kids I see as patients who are HUGE! I just want to slap their parents and say "DO you know what you are doing to this kids' future?!"
DOn't worry. I keep my hands to myself.
For the next few days I'm going to explore what obesity does to the health care system in this country and the individual person's overall "Health status." For now, get to know your numbers and think about the changes you need to make inorder to get them down to perfection.