Notwithstanding crime statistics, high traffic fatalities, and nature's virus killers, the harsh reality is that lifestyle diseases are the mothers of all killers. Cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension (high blood pressure) and other non-communicable diseases are the end results of long-term abuse in the form of poor living habits, faulty nutrition, and other health destroying environmental factors and negative thinking.

For the most part these diseases are preventable and treatable through proper attention to diet, exercise, smoking elimination and periodic medical screening. Under-standing the vital role of personal health practices is important. In fact, what we call health care is really disease care. The system is designed to spring into action once a disease is manifested, not before. Very often by that time, it may be too late. We need to be just as proactive in disease prevention as we are reactive in disease deterioration.

Clearly some of us are born more genetically blessed than others and do not inherit a predisposition to develop lifestyle diseases. However genetics is not the only factor in determining health. In fact, it plays a relatively minor role. Most of the lifestyle diseases that cut life short are not caused by bad genes but by bad habits and bad environment.

The best way to stay healthy in old age is to prevent disease before it starts. Health is no respector of persons - class, colour or creed.

As a proliferation of lifestyle diseases can be confidently expected in this century, heath care faces a formidable challenge in finding a solution to this notorious problem, which seems to lie at the core of ageing and death in both developing and developed countries. Good health your choice.

I am, etc.,

Dr.VANCE LANNAMAN,

N.M.D.

naturaldoc@cwjamaica.com

Kingston