Take Charge of Your Lifestyle

With most of Growlife's doctors having families of their own, we understand how busy life can get. Broken nights, deadlines at work, a mortgage, relationship stress. In today’s society we seem to have more and more conveniences but less and less time. All too often, the solution is faster food, skipping exercise and resorting to alcohol to manage stress.

It’s no wonder that by age 55, nearly 40% of Australians are obese . Two in three are overweight or obese.

Daily, we see the health consequences of a society driven in such a way. Hypertension , diabetes , heart disease , depression , gout and many more conditions are different sides of the same coin. Often, conditions like this are framed as a choice. However, does anyone really choose to eat too much? To exercise too little? To overindulge in alcohol?

We see things differently. The downside of our privileged existence in Australia is living in a system that makes consumption easy, and energy expenditure difficult. Our society struggles with the opposite problems to previous generations where food was scarce and the world not nearly so automated.

Consequently, we think the solution to the diabetes and obesity epidemic is to start early, think at a societal level, and to continually assess and support individuals to maintain positive habits. It starts with our children. Creating lifelong habits of healthy food choices, group sport and incidental activity. In your 20’s it is easy to let exercise slip. Addressing this, and building it into your routine is important at this age.

The 30’s and 40’s are often where the wheels of health start to get wobbly. Life gets busy with children, work and home life, and quicker food is an easy solution to plug the gap. Being mindful about what you eat, and avoiding hidden traps is important at this stage. Exercise often goes out the door. Partnership and coaching with your healthcare team can help keep you focussed on the long term.

The 50’s are where genetics and the previous few decades often deliver the news of high blood pressure or diabetes. Early detection and management is important at this stage.

If any of the above apply to you, we encourage you to talk to your doctor, and work with our multidisciplinary team to make the most of your health now. Sister Brenda Dyer at our Sherwood practice has a wealth of experience in managing issues like obesity, diabetes and other chronic conditions. Our dietitians can provide even more specialised advice. Where necessary, we can provide comprehensive assessment with blood tests, anthropometry, 24 hour blood pressure monitoring, ECG, lung function testing and more.

Depending upon your age and condition, we can often help you take proactive steps to improve your health with little or no out of pocket cost. In particular, patients from 45 to 49 years of age who are at risk of a chronic condition are eligible for a comprehensive check up. For those with diabetes, our comprehensive diabetes clinic is generally bulk billed.

If you have a young family, and notice that your lifestyle is suffering, why not take steps now to improve the health of your children, and take yourself along for the ride? Our child nutrition groups with dietitians at our Highgate Hill practice are a perfect way to start.

With the new year not far away, it is a great time to start. Book online and start the conversation now.