“The hardest part to improving your health is simply committing to making a change,” says Deb Stubbs, Health Center and TLC program director. “The actual adjustments to your habits and lifestyle are very straightforward. You don’t need special equipment, supplements, or additional products. We teach ways that you can modify your current lifestyle where appropriate, enabling your choices to assist you in becoming and staying healthy rather than contributing to poor health.”
A finding from the U.S. Surgeon General states that nearly 75-percent of our Western diseases are “lifestyle-related”. The finding links these diseases to a rich diet, lack of exercise, consumption of caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes, and to increased stress levels. While some risk factors cannot be modified, such as age, gender, and heredity, the TLC program enables participants to be proactive about the factors they can change.
“Modifying risk factors can decrease your chance of developing cardiovascular disease by nearly 70-75%,” adds Stubbs. “Many patients today have more than one risk factor, what we call a ‘cluster’, such as having high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and being overweight. Changing even one area tends to have a positive effect on all areas, which can greatly improve a person’s health, and lower their risk.”
In addition to Dr. Matthew Everett, the TLC program Medical Director, a team of specially trained exercise physiologists, a registered dietitian, and a registered nurse educate participants through a series of interactive classes. The team leads this program which runs anywhere from five to seven weeks and includes food samples, demonstrations, and access to a resource library in addition to the classes. Prior to the first class, all participants receive a lifestyle evaluation, including blood work, biometric measurements, and wellness scoring. Then, upon course completion, the evaluation is conducted again to demonstrate the impact that making more healthful choices can have.
Free, no-obligation information sessions about the TLC Program will be held at noon and 6:00pm on April 9th and 10th in the Health Center Classroom at Memorial Hospital. For more information, call (937) 578-2580.
