In Cali, healthy lifestyles and habits are promoted to prevent cardiovascular diseases

• Week of healthy lifestyle habits to raise awareness of the importance of adopting behaviors and habits that improve well-being and prevent diseases.
  
• Diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer are some that can be prevented by improving lifestyle habits.
  
• Promotion of physical activity, healthy eating, control and prevention of conventional and electronic cigarette consumption are actions you can take to prevent diseases and improve your quality of life.

Santiago de Cali, September 27, 2024

Within the framework of the Healthy Lifestyle Week in Colombia, the Cali Public Health Secretariat joined this celebration to promote well-being in communities and promote a healthy lifestyle, changing daily behaviors and adopting habits that allow improve quality of life and prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Chronic diseases constitute one of the great challenges facing health systems around the world, due to the increasingly increasing incidence of diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer, especially in the adult population, the elderly and women. . In addition to this, the complications of these diseases are increasingly frequent, since cerebrovascular accidents, acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, kidney damage, among others, have become the main causes of death and preventable disability. national level.

According to the 2015 population survey on risk factors for non-communicable diseases, it reveals that the District of Santiago de Cali has high prevalence of sedentary lifestyle (78.3%), inadequate diet (74.4%), tobacco consumption (7, 3%), harmful alcohol consumption (8.24%), 38.4% overweight and 16.3% obese, which means that the population has inappropriate behaviors that lead to the progressive development of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure. , diabetes and some types of cancer.

Faced with these problems of interest, the Ministry of Public Health has been developing actions and strategies that allow impact on the cardiovascular and metabolic health of the community, particularly, from the implementation of healthy living practices and the modification of risk factors in the different environments and life courses of the population. Among the strategies advanced are the promotion of physical activity, the promotion of healthy eating, control and prevention of conventional and electronic cigarette consumption, promotion of the responsible use of screens and electronic devices, active and healthy rurality, and prevention and early detection. of cancer.

The city’s Secretary of Public Health, Germán Escobar, pointed out that one of the main health strategies is to work from the territory, on the street, in the commune, in the days. “We want Cali people to understand the importance of incorporating a balanced and healthy diet into our habits, reiterating the need to control weight, to have good health and feel better, let us remember that a balanced diet, from the adoption of healthy eating practices “It consists of identifying what foods we should consume and in what proportions, so that they allow us to achieve the nutritional contribution necessary for the correct functioning of our body,” Escobar explained.

Likewise, the commitment to maintaining active movement in our daily lives was reiterated, as doing moderate physical activity such as walking, jogging, cycling for 150 to 300 minutes and intense activities for 75 to 150 minutes or a combination of both. throughout the week, added to muscle strengthening exercises, will provide benefits to the health of the heart, body and mind, as it promotes the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes, as well as reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety, contributes to a better development of reasoning and learning skills and improvement of general well-being.

“Prevention of cardiovascular diseases begins with the adoption of healthy habits. It is essential that we promote and raise awareness of a culture of health, self-care and well-being in our community, promoting education and awareness about the importance of a healthy life, so we can reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases and improve quality of life. of everyone. Every small change we make in our habits can have a significant impact on our long-term health,” said German Escobar, Secretary of Public Health of Cali.

Communications Ministry of Public Health