In the literature, a lot of space is dedicated to listing health-related numbers. These can be mortality statistics, incidence percentages, and side effect probability with medications just to name a few. These health-related numbers “mute” many health topics. It impersonalizes the topic and the numbers make the disease easier to understand and relate to mentally. This approach creates a sort of indifference and reduces its importance to us.

What if you were out to dinner with your loved one at a nice restaurant, when suddenly, at the next table, a man slumps over at his table clutching his chest. His date screams in horror at the possibility of witnessing him having a heart attack and possibly death. What if he was younger and fitter than you? Now it has different value – you can relate to this event. You see the relevance to heart attacks, causes, dietary choices, exercising and how spontaneous they can be. Taking this a step further, what if it was you having that heart attack? Almost immediately, you would become a statistic and all your characteristics will be included in the body of data that makes up heart attack victims. Thankfully, because of quick thinking by a CPR – trained waiter, you get to live another day.

This experience erases these ethereal “numbers” and makes your experience personal. Based on your experience, you take an active role in your health because you realized your own mortality and, in this case, are thankful that the waiter thought enough of his own mortality to get CPR trained.

This is the key. We think that “it won’t happen to me”, emphasis on the word “me”. Unless it becomes personal in some way, a lot of the health advice that is delivered to the masses goes unheeded. The pleas for research funds to find cures are dismissed, health-screenings are brushed off, and the telethon drives are ignored. We do not identify with their plight because that plight doesn’t affect “me”. The ones that care are the ones who have experienced or understood their own or someone else’s mortality.

If this seems like a work of fiction, look at the obesity epidemic in the country. The rate by which the population is becoming obese is accelerating, yet there is a ton of literature available online, in books, and from healthcare professionals on how to eat and exercise properly to avoid this health condition. But it grows. Why? Maybe it’s because we don’t think we are overweight… so we eat more and exercise less while thinking “I have time to fix it” or “I’ll deal with it when it happens”. The obesity epidemic gets ignored. It’s a sad reality.

In closing, I’m saying that we need to get involved and take action to improve ourselves and each other by caring. This takes effort, and the effort makes it worthwhile. The internal satisfaction gained in “giving back” through selfless action creates a better sense of community and this strengthens us as human beings. So let’s start caring…for ourselves and others before it’s too late.

Until next week, take care.

Dion