Talking about health = talking about prevention

When we think of health, we often think of doctors, nurses, and other health professionals. It is associated with symbols like white coats, uniforms, stethoscopes, big buildings, beds and ambulances.

By comparison, preventive medicine, care provided by primary and public health to help prevent us from getting sick or effectively managing conditions, has no symbol. As a result, preventive work is often not included when we talk about health. Prevention includes:

• Taking action to prevent risk factors from becoming disease (e.g. “Are you smoking? We can help you to stop.”)
• Dealing with risk factors that may have already caused disease (e.g. screening programs that allow us to detect disease and take action to cure it or prevent it from worsening).
• Treating disease and risk factors to prevent the worst possible outcomes (e.g. managing diabetes to prevent limb loss or death).

Keppoch Mountain rises on the horizon just outside of the town of Antigonish, N.S. Once a popular ski hill, Keppoch’s chair lifts and downhill skiers are long gone now. In their place, a series of hiking and biking trails wind their way up, down and around the mountain.

Every day, people of all ages arrive to hit the trails, on foot or by bike in the warmer months, on snow shoes and cross-country skis once the snow falls. A cozy stone lodge with a large stone fireplace welcomes hundreds of visitors a year, from the local community and from as far away Scotland, England, Germany, Thailand and even New Zealand.

It’s all part of the plan, says Dr. John Chiasson, a family physician in Antigonish.

In addition to working full time caring for his patients, he’s also the president of the Positive Action for Keppoch (PAK) Society. The non-profit organization was founded in 2010 to breathe new life into the defunct ski hill, offering people in the Antigonish area a place to commune with nature – and improve their health and well-being.

Daily we hear about the fact that obesity rates are growing, but by how much and how does it relate to the average Nova Scotian?

Since 1985, obesity rates have tripled. Today, one in three adult Nova Scotians falls into the overweight or obese category with a body mass index of more than 30.

And guess what? It’s expected to get much worse.

By 2019, it’s predicted there will be more overweight and obese people in Nova Scotia than there are average or normal weighted people. This means more than 50 per cent of Nova Scotians will be overweight or obese in less than four years.

In particular, the categories of obesity at the upper end of the scales are growing dramatically.

These are the findings of a study published in the March 2014 Canadian Medical Association Journal called “Current and predicted prevalence of obesity in Canada: a trend analysis.”

Now that we know more definitively how obesity rates are growing, here’s what else you should know.

On November 10th, we hosted a Talk about health conversation with Municipality of the County of Antigonish.

Overall, we had a great turnout and were heard about lots of concerns from citizens about the future of health in Nova Scotia.

Take a look at some of the things that were said during the discussion

Over October, the Nova Scotia Health Authority commissioned a research firm to carry out baseline public opinion research for Talk about health. This survey aimed to raise awareness about the need for change, as well as understand attitudes, beliefs and values related to population health and health status.

Below is a snapshot of what we heard from Nova Scotians.

To everyone who participated in the survey - Thank you!

Read about the Antigonish Talk about health session here!

Nova Scotia spends $1.9 billion each year on doctors, nurses and hospitals — the second-highest per capita amount in the country — but we’re not getting healthier.

Just the opposite. We’re the second-lowest in Canada in terms of health status.

Read Anne Farries' article here

Twenty-three people, including members of the Queens Community Health Board, the Region of Queens Municipality and the Queens Care Society, met at the Queens Place Emera Centre in Livepool on November the 4th to take part in a Talk about health conversation.

Read more about the event! (registration required)

Dr. Robert Strang, the Chief Public Health Officer, outlines Nova Scotia's poor health status and lays out a case for change. Read the full article.

Being healthy is more than not being sick. Many things, the social determinants of health, impact our health. Understanding the social determinants of health isn't always easy. Learn about the importance of the social determinants of health and what they really mean.