Stroke - the silent killer

In recent weeks the Government has sponsored a major health campaign to help us recognise early symptoms of stroke. It has worked and many lives have been saved already, and we are all that bit more aware of those initial indications – facial signals, slurred speech, restricted mobility particularly from the arms. It has also given us the confidence to pick up the phone immediately if we see someone who could be affected. We can call for emergency first aid without our feeling guilty that we might be wasting someone’s time.

Having a stroke is serious and it can kill us. It can come with no warning. It is the third biggest killer disease in our country. The problem is that, unfortunately, we just don’t think it will happen to us.

But we can do a massive amount to reduce our risk of stroke and we need to take that responsibility ourselves, very seriously. Being overweight and unfit dramatically increases our risk of having a stroke as well as many other life-threatening diseases including heart disease, cancer and Type 2 Diabetes. And yet, if we just make some simple changes to our lifestyle we can reduce that risk enormously.

It doesn’t have to be dramatic – just small but significant changes could save your life:

Cut back on the fat in your diet, (particularly saturated fat) – and don’t add fat to anything that you cook.

Cut back your portion sizes by 25% to reduce your weight.

Get active. Just being more active in our everyday lives can dramatically increase our fitness levels and help us lose weight.

Losing 10% of our bodyweight when we are overweight can very effectively reduce our risk of developing a life threatening disease.

Drink alcohol in moderation and get your blood-pressure checked next time you visit your GP’s surgery. It can give you the first indication as to whether you are susceptible to stroke.

And don’t wait until tomorrow. Start today and check out the free website www.obesityawareness.co.uk to see where you lie at risk with your health.