It’s a slightly tired old saying but nevertheless true that prevention is better than cure.
Fittingly, it’s a mantra that resonates particularly in the Health system. Appropriate investment in the prevention (and management) of disease and injury is far more cost effective and socially constructive than waiting for you to get sick and only then trying to fix you.
Gareth Morgan recently wrote a column in which he notes that every dollar invested in prevention produces four times the results gained by a dollar spent in treatment.
It’s not a new concept by any stretch of the imagination. Some responses to the challenge of preventing illness have been successful, others haven’t. Some have been politically palatable, others have been labeled ‘Nanny State’.
So here are some questions:
- What motivates you to be healthy?
- Are you motivated to be healthy?
- Can the Government motivate you to be healthier, if so how?
I’m keen to hear what you think because if we are really going to crack this one, we need to get alongside people and not just be telling them what’s best.
Not being eaten by zombies.
Yes, seriously.
LOL
That’s great I/S 
Staying out of A and E motivates me, and saving money
“Can the Government motivate you to be healthier, if so how?”
The government makes me want to drink!
No way jose
As I move as disgracefully as possible into middle age I have replaced:
and onto:
Where’s the bloody edit function?
Secure and enjoyable employment helps keep you healthy. Particularly a secure income. More motivating to keep healthy when you feel your contribution to society is valued. The most important thing the government could do would be to promote full employment with good employment conditions. And also value those vital jobs that aren’t paid such as child rearing and voluntary work. Also value the old, the young and disabled people instead of denigrating them.
The government also needs to do more practical things such as make homes healthy and warm, and require landlords to do that, and encourage healthy food and physical activity in schools and communities. GST off healthy food would help.
What motivates me to stay healthy? Well, the fact that I hate being sick, and I know that I’m a right pain in the backside when I’m sick/injured and can’t play football
Also the fact that it’s a mission to catch up after taking just one day off school is as good a motivating factor as any to stay in good health
What BLiP said about the veggies gardens…
And I’m motivated to look after my own health by knowing from bitter experience that no other bugger is going to do it for me. And it’s pretty shitty being sick and unable to work, or do any of the other things I like doing.
I find being healthy really does make you happier… I quit drinking, smoking and caffeine a few years ago, I’ll never touch them again as I’ve never been healthier or happier…
What motivates me to be healthy is to ignore urban myths
promoted by nutritional nazis, bum saving bureaucrats, drongo doctors, and mealy mouthed mps pretending to be concerned about my health.
The Labour Party does not like country of origin labelling.
It might effect economic health. Bugger life form health.
It is only economics that matter, life forms do not.
I am not allowed to know what country my food comes from, and you ask dumb questions like this? Get real.
The nation’s health was hugely advanced by lowering the drinking age to 18? Thank you.
Some hard nosed scientific research would be in order before any legislative action was taken.
There is an equal amount of BS spun by the medical profession and the so called “alternative” therapists.
Don’t get me started.
Oh dear I my have used some bad words and my comment is stuck in moderation. Here’s the kid-friendly version:
What BLiP said about the veggies gardens…
And I’m motivated to look after my own health by knowing from bitter experience that no other person (b*gger) is going to do it for me. And it’s pretty unpleasant (sh*tty) being sick and unable to work, or do any of the other things I like doing
Nearly dying motivated me.Of which I must again give thanks to the NZ health system that existed in 2004.
What I think helps one stay healthier.and how the govt could help.
1. Education (not just one sided,but factual) will help for people to be aware of their own limitations.
2. Fresh fruit and veg gst free with a view to look at other food. Brilliant obvious healthy motivator.
3. Access to free drinking water always.
4. Continue programme to insulate homes.And with that it should be a progression to have
5. Programmes to allow alternate power supply (solar or wind in rural areas) so homes are safer and healthier.
What motivates me to be healthy is not wanting to be sick and that is enough motivation for me. In terms of preventative health though there is a lot we miss out on due to cost, ease of access or simple lack of knowledge. We all don’t want to be sick what we lack is the knowledge to do it either because we have forgotten it or never knew to start with. People will not in general hunt for ways to be healthy.
Bad habits from childhood linger through with a propensity for unhealthy eating and I am sure you have enough people with enough policies confronting you about what to do about that.
Reminders on eating healthy are a good idea as much as awareness campaigns tend to be used as a cop out. They should however be framed as giving suggestions for what people should eat and with simple healthy recipes. The default result for not knowing what to eat is to get junk food, eliminating not knowing what to eat can help solve that. I would also suggest more mandatory cooking in schools.
Parents probably aren’t aware enough of the causes of Asthma in children so putting out more info on that would be good probably through schools would be the most effective way.
Doing stuff like dieting/exercise as a group makes it far more likely you don’t get bored and give up so encouraging people to do their healthy habits in a group could be effective. Or ensure the adds on it are framed in the way of something people do with their friends e.g. the checking cancer adverts.
Motivation aside. ACC does not cover a lot of preventative methods for injuries that border on not being cost effective. One of my friends will likely sustain ankle damage later in life because he is not covered for prescription insoles.
The lack of insulation in rental properties which Gareth has put forward a bill for is a big issue for students as we simply can’t tell if a house has it or not, usually don’t have that much choice in which house we get and can’t do anything about it once we have moved in except spend hundreds of dollars on heating.
I would add Sofie free drinking water that is free from the neurotoxin fluoride.
I live without insulation, brrrrooogh
, 
Cheaper dental care, not everyone can afford to go overseas to get it done
I would advocate dentists over dental nurses, they were cruel to me
… 
I remember in Primary School when a girl in my class went to the dental nurse and came back with the HUGEST blue bruise on her face – the dental nurse messed up her injections
It lasted about a fortnight too
Standards should be raised!
Or needles kept well away from overzealous dental nurses
A very pertinent post. The highest paid professionals in the health system specialise in sorting out sickness, not in creating and maintaining good health. Hmmmm that should say something about who is in charge of the ‘health’ system and the direction it tends towards in terms of expert advice and analysis.
Not meeting Tony Ryall in an A & E waiting room does it for me
Or ones that drill without anasetic – told me not to be stupid when I complained of pain
, and put fluoride in your mouth and tell you not to swallow and leave you lying there drooling for half an hour! 
@Peter LOL
Some of his colourful ensembles could go down a treat with the drunks in A and E 
@Hilary who said “Secure and enjoyable employment helps keep you healthy. Particularly a secure income. More motivating to keep healthy when you feel your contribution to society is valued. The most important thing the government could do would be to promote full employment with good employment conditions. And also value those vital jobs that aren’t paid such as child rearing and voluntary work. Also value the old, the young and disabled people instead of denigrating them.
The government also needs to do more practical things such as make homes healthy and warm, and require landlords to do that, and encourage healthy food and physical activity in schools and communities. GST off healthy food would help.”
You’re absolutely correct! No way a person can stay healthy on UB or any other benefit… I’ve had bronchitis every year since I’ve been unemployed, and not before!
Deb
So here are some questions:
What motivates you to be healthy?
Keeping stress levels at bay – fitting my clothes – looking trim
Are you motivated to be healthy?
yep
Can the Government motivate you to be healthier, if so how?
The govt could help promote prevention in a lot of ways – some mentioned already so sorry if I cross over…
- healthy food returned to school lunch rooms (I can not believe the nacts pulled that out – duh! And for the record, much of the ‘healthy’ food replacements were yummy – it was scaremongering that made the public think it was cr*p food. In actual fact, it was good)
- Return funding to enviro schools and sustainability (again – what planet do these nacts live on…)
- Make sure preventative measures are better funded and cheaper to access – acc treatments, ensuring more and better and cheaper access to counseling, finding ways to make veges, milk and bread more affordable than buying a 1.5 ltr coke and some hot fat filled chips.
- I am with spud re dental care – its far too exp in NZ and as a result people don’t get their teeth checked
- making things like prostate/smears etc free – as with birth control visits to the doc etc – because its the little things that need checked but cost so much per visit that stop people from going
etc and ditto
Prevention – definitely!
Top priority – preventing Ryall from inflicting death by a thousand health cuts.
Regarding prostate /smears – could science not invent a better way to get those checked out?
@spud – i hear ya
Yeah watch the use and overuse of prostate checks/tests, there can be too many false negatives out of those which then lead to too many risky/expensive additional diagnostic and treatment procedures.
@ Paul 5:29 – Hearing you on the healthy food in schools. Luckily my school decided to stick with the healthy stuff, damn it tastes good! Haven’t seen pies in the tuck shop for years, they really haven’t been missed!
@Ella – the smart schools kept the reforms in, despite nat buckling to business interests (again). Funny how something so small can make such a difference. And yes, tasty as. (and the kids like it)
My children motivates me to stay healthy.
Living thrifty has also driven me to live healthier e.g.. I walk almost everywhere, grow my own veggies- which is more beneficial than chemical laden fruits and veggies that’s been sitting in the supermarket for days depleting their nutritional value.
For dinner it’s more veggies less meat.
We make sure we get plenty of vitamin D (hormone produced by sunshine), especially when we are run down-which said to boost immunity and help destroy any microorganisms that are lurking in your body.
The great thing about vitamin D is it’s free and has been given a lot of good press lately by scientists and doctors.
Having to live thrifty also has health disadvantages e.g.. can’t afford to go to the gym, or take the kids to swimming lessons, I also live in a rented cold non insulated house, which sometimes I can’t afford to heat.
Perhaps Landlords should have to met a standard before they lease out their houses as cold, damp houses are breeding grounds for all kinds of infectious diseases, contributing to the wellness of children.
Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in NZ, and this does need to be addressed-this diseases is associated to alcohol, poor diets, stress, smoking, genes, diabetes and inactive lifestyle and scientists have recently discovered links with gum disease.
Smoking is said to be the main contributer to CD and also for another big problem: Lung cancer.
The government should be looking into why we have high rates of nicotine in NZ cigarettes- which means they are among most addictive in the world.
Making nicotine supplements more available and where ever they sell smokes may help and perhaps introducing subsidies of some kind.
I have read this study recently, this one was published in a popular science magazine and states the link between the recession, depression and crime.
For every 1 % rise in unemployment, suicides crimes rose by 0.8%. Then when unemployment dropped by 3% or more at one time, suicides increased by a staggering 4.4% and homicides by 6%. It states investing in programs to help people find or keep jobs reduced suicides Levels link: http://press.thelancet.com/crises.pdf
So the government can motivate health and wellness through help with smoking addiction, investment in jobs, encouraging home grown Veggie gardens, Rental home specifications for landlords, Encouraging more health news in the media, health guidelines for all schools, health education from preschool, ensure everyone has access to affordable, quality healthcare and counseling, more press for fresh organic food to name a few.
Great about the growing your own food without chemicals
I’m being healthy tonight, vegetables and a grape derived beverage of which I plan to drink the whole bottle to keep me going while I get this all nighter done