Prevention is better than cure – Men’s Health Night

Kiwi blokes have a reputation for thinking that medical conditions will always ‘be alright’. Yet we are losing Men of all ages to preventable diseases and New Zealand has some of the highest rates of skin cancer, bowel cancer, diabetes and prostate cancer.

Discussing medical issues is not something to be embarrassed about and the Lions club encourages the entire community to get on board and spread this message.

It is so vital to monitor your own health signs, simple changes in lifestyle can improve health almost immediately and many painful, serious and even life-threatening conditions can be avoided by regular check-ups. In some cases terminal disease might be avoidable!

The main presentation is being made by Dr. Chris Reid, a local GP, who is also a faculty member of Prekure, an institution set up to help prevent illness, rather than cure it.  After the talk there will then be a substantial question and answer session with the GP, pharmacist, diabetic nurse, leisure company and fitness trainer. People are almost certainly unaware of the many services and tests that are now available at the pharmacies in Kerikeri, Waipapa and further afield. These pharmacists are highly trained and science is advancing so quickly that self-testing is becoming easier and more convenient.

Another crucial point is that lifestyle changes do not have to be great to benefit health and longevity. The public often has the impression that the advice is to train hard at the gym and participate in the Tour de France. Actually this is completely wrong and may be counter-productive. Inflammation, sometime caused by excessive exercise, is a major contributory factor to many cancers. It is small and simple changes linked to self-monitoring that can make huge beneficial changes to health, quality of life and possibly avoiding a serious disease.

We want to encourage every worker and all those in higher risk categories, to attend and learn about how they can get and remain more healthy.
There is free entry, a free raffle and free food, tea and coffee…..as well as heaps of good advice!