Health Check. Reality Check
"I ate whenever I felt like it, such as when I watched TV or especially when I was under stress. My lifestyle was very sedentary; I hardly exercised as I was worried about aggravating the earlier injuries to my leg and lower back." That was Mr William Chew two years back.At a strapping 1.85m, he weighed a hefty 113kg.
Then in December, he did something that turned his life around. He went for a general health screening at Alexandra Hospital (AH), and found out that one-third of his body was made up of fat. His Body Mass Index (BMI) was 33, was above the healthy range of 17-23.
"The results were shocking", he recalls. "I knew I had weight problems, but I’ve always thought it was because I have heavy bones." He knew he had to do something, especially when told by doctors that "if I did not, I would put myself at a high risk of other obesity-related problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes."
Spurred into action, William went through AH’s Weight Management Programme run by the Health For Life Centre. Through healthier eating habits and regular exercise, he now has these figures to report: 6 inches off his waist, 90kg on the scale, and a BMI of 26. he also exercises three times a week – either cycling, brisk walking or jogging at the gym – and hopes to achieve his ideal BMI soon. "There’s been a total change in my lifestyle, not to mention a great change in my physique," he remarks. "Believe it or not, I used to pant from just running after the bus. Now I have more energy to do a lot of stuff."
Like William, many have found that it pays to do a simple health check. All it takes is a blood test for you to find out if you are at risk of, or have conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure. All these are chronic ailments facing many people, requiring long-term care and possibly leading to complications like kidney failure, heart disease and strokes. The health screening can also check for signs of abnormalities in the colon or kidney.
