Women are the Ministers Of Health – Our Version

Women are truly the Ministers of Health, Chief Medical Officers, Directors of Family Wellness, and Health Attachès of the household. It falls to us to manage urgent care situations, ensure prevention and wellness check-ups take place and to continuously poll the family making sure everyone is doing ok. When it comes to our children it’s easy —we put them in the car or take the train and make our way to the appropriate healthcare provider. With our sisters and mothers, it’s still pretty easy, we encourage and cajole them into seeing a doctor or eating healthy and remind them of just how important they are. But when it comes to us-ourselves, that’s, as they say, a whole other story! We have plenty of reasons: I’m too busy, I feel fine, I’ll go if I need to, my family needs me. Sound familiar? Well, all of that is true

However, most diseases don’t generally announce to us that they’re about to strike. By the time we feel symptoms, something is already happening. However, there is really good news. We have control. We can prevent the diseases and conditions that cause most of the mortality among women: HIV/AIDS, heart disease, diabetes, lung and colorectal cancer. And, in the case of breast cancer, we can detect it early and cure it! The two leading causes of death among women are heart disease and cancer. The rates for both have dropped steadily over the past 5 years. We’re getting the message. Still, we’re not getting annual physicals like we should – only 30% of us do; we’re not getting 30 minutes of exercise 5 days per week; we’re not eating 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables each day; we’re not getting our colorectal cancer screenings – less than half of us who should do; annual mammography rates are good, about 75% but if they increased to 90% that would mean another 20,000 of us alive each year. Ladies, if you’re over 40, are you getting yours?

So take charge now! You have the power. As you can see, it’s really not difficult. We know right now what to do to prevent most of our chronic disease mortality. So, choose you! Choose you and be here for your family, your children and grandchildren. Be the minister of your own health.