The common threads which put individuals health at greater risk

1. The common threads which put individuals health at greater risk Modifiable Lifestyle Factors: • Smoking • Lack of physical activity • Diet • Being overweight • Alcohol consumption

2. Smoking and Health Risks • Smoking is the UKs single greatest cause of preventable illness and early death. More than 114,000 people in the UK die from smoking each year and one quarter of smokers die before reaching retirement age. About half of all regular smokers will eventually be killed by their habit. • Smoking causes a wide range of illnesses, including various cancers, respiratory diseases ,heart disease and impacts on fertility. • People who smoke have twice as great a risk of a heart attack as those who do not. 30,000 smokers have fatal heart attacks each year in the UK. • Nicotine stimulates the body to produce adrenaline which makes the heart beat faster raising the blood pressure • Secondhand smoke can cause asthma, lung cancer, heart disease among other conditions

3. Key Health Messages Stopping smoking is the greatest thing you can do to improve your health… …the more you prepare the better your chance of successfully quitting. Call the Stop Smoking Service Smoking 01209 215666 Look at: ‘Your guide to quitting for good with Smokefree’ p8

4. Inactivity and Health Risks • Physical inactivity is a significant factor for stroke, coronary heart disease and type2 diabetes • Inactivity can also impact on other conditions including obesity, hypertension, breast cancer, colon cancer, depression, osteoporosis and mental health • People who are physically active reduce their risk of developing coronary heart disease, stroke and type11 diabetes by up to 50% and reduce the risk of premature death by about 20-30% • More than two thirds of the UK population is not sufficiently active to accrue cardiovascular benefits.

5. Key Health Messages 30 minutes of moderate activity at least five times a week Physical Activity Look at ‘Get active, stay active’ BHF Pg 9 ‘Lets Get Moving’ NHS Pg 7

6. Not Eating Healthily and Health Risks • Salt intake in the UK is around 9.5g per person per day. This is higher than the 6g recommended by the Scientific Advisory Committee on nutrition. High salt intake is associated with high blood pressure and people with high blood pressure are three times more likely to develop heart disease and strokes and twice as likely to die from these disease as those with normal levels • Saturated fat intakes exceed public health recommendations of 11% food energy (Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy) Excess intakes of saturated fat is associated with raised blood cholesterol levels and with coronary heart disease risk. Too much fat can lead to obesity which could trigger diabetes • Sugar contributes to empty calories which could pile on the weight. • Eating too much and large potion sizes contributes to being overweight

7. Key Health Messages Eat a balanced, variety of foods Healthy Eating Look at: ‘Eatwell Plate’ ‘Healthy Eating HPS’ back pages’

8. Key Health Messages Base your meals on starchy foods Eat lots of fruit and vegetables (5 A DAY) Eat more fish Cut down on saturated fat and sugar Don’t skip breakfast Try to eat less salt—no more than 6g a day for adults Drink plenty of water Healthy Eating Look at: ‘Eatwell Plate’ ‘Healthy Eating HPS’ back pages’

9. Overweight and Health Risks • 6,000 deaths a year from coronary heart disease are due to obesity • Obesity reduces life expectancy by on average nine years • Excess weight raises blood pressure and increases hormones which affect the development of heart disease • Obesity increases the risk of Type 2 Diabetes • Obesity stops you being physically mobile and can lead to depression

10. Key Health Messages Losing weight; the best way to succeed is to start making 2 or 3 realistic changes that you can stick to, then, over time, you’ll begin to see results. Weight Look at ‘Why Weight Matters’ pg2 ‘Your Weight Your Health’ pg 9

11. Key Health Messages • Four ingredients for a weight-loss • programme that works: • Eating right • Being active • Changing behaviour (habits) • Getting support Weight Look at ‘Why Weight Matters’ pg2 ‘Your Weight Your Health’ pg 9

12. Alcohol Health Risks • Heavy drinking carries a severe risk of cardiovascular disease with 1,200 deaths each year due to haemorrhagic stroke and 10% of all deaths due to hypertension associated with alcohol • According to the Department of Health, men who regularly consume more than eight alcohol units a day are four times more likely to develop high blood pressure. Women who regularly consume more than six alcohol units a day double their risk of developing high blood pressure. • Regular heavy drinking may lead to enlargement of the heart. This is a sign that the heart is unable to pump effectively. • Holiday heart’ syndrome. Binge drinking or a period of heavy alcohol consumption can cause a sudden, irregular rhythm of the heart in apparently healthy people. This results in shortness of breath, changes in blood pressure and an increase in the risk of a heart attack and even sudden death. • An increased risk of thrombosis (blood clotting). Alcohol can affect levels of a substance in the blood called homocysteine. High homocysteine levels increase the risk of blood vessel blockages. • Alcohol also contains calories but little else of nutritional value. If you are trying to lose weight you should drink moderately There is some evidence that binge drinking of more than 12 units at a time contributes to an increase in waist measurement

13. Key Health Messages Manage your daily unit intake Alcohol Look at |Alcohol HPS inside page

14. Key Health Messages Men – should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units a day. Women – should not regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day. Regularly drinking more than the recommended daily amount of units has its risks. Alcohol Look at |Alcohol HPS inside page

15. Alcohol

16. Key Resources available from the Health Promotion Service 01209 313419