Most Nassau Deaths Caused by Preventable Disease; Health Department: Take 5 for Better Health
Nassau County residents need a wake-up call about their health risks. ThatÂ’s the latest from the Nassau County Health Department in the week leading up to the third annual Take 5 for Better Health week.
FERNANDINA BEACH, FL (PRWEB) February 23, 2004
Nassau County residents need a wake-up call about their health risks. ThatÂ’s the latest from the Nassau County Health Department in the week leading up to the third annual Take 5 for Better Health week.
“Citizens don’t realize it, but Nassau County ranks significantly above the state average for death rates due to cardiovascular disease, chronic lower respiratory disease and pneumonia and influenza,” said Dr. Eugenia Ngo-Seidel, director of the Nassau County Health Department. “These numbers show we have a serious situation on our hands.”
In 2000-2002, Nassau County ranked among the top counties in Florida for cardiovascular disease. According to a 2002 survey, 39 percent of Nassau County respondents had high cholesterol and 29 percent had high blood pressure. Research shows that 64 percent of Nassau County respondents are either overweight or obese. More than half of the survey respondents do not participate in any form of moderate physical activity.
“These are preventable diseases linked to our health habits,” Ngo-Seidel says. “It just takes simple steps to begin a journey to good health. Last week was Valentine’s Day. We are only two months into the New Year. How many citizens truly thought about their heart during Valentine’s Day? And how many people have already given up on their New Year’s resolutions?”
The Nassau County Health Department has a suggestion. It’s the third annual Take 5 for Better Health week, February 23 – 27. During this week, the Nassau County Health Department, Nassau County Board of Commissioners, Nassau County’s Health Advisory Board and the State Department of Health encourages local residents to make a week-long commitment to five simple health steps.
The Take 5 for Better Health Week five simple daily steps are:
5 Minutes of Physical Activity
5 Deep Breaths
5 Minutes to yourself
5 Less Cigarettes
5 Fruits and Vegetables
“Choose one or more to work on during the week,” Ngo-Seidel says. “They are the basics to developing a healthy lifestyle and the first step toward eliminating preventable diseases – the number one cause of death in Nassau County.”
The Nassau County Health Department will hold two health fairs with free blood pressure and cholesterol screening during the Take 5 for Better Health week: Feb. 26 in Hilliard (9-11 a. m.) and Callahan (2-4 p. m.). For more information on Take 5 for Better Health week, contact the Nassau County Health Department at 904/225-9510.
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Contact:
Kim Geib, ARNP
Public Information Officer
Nassau Co. Health Department
904/277-7287 ext. 243