In the field of statistics, a five-point rating scale is commonly
used to evaluate all sorts of personal responses, feelings, and assessments.
This frequently used tool is known as the Likert scale, and most people have
completed such a rating device on numerous occasions, most typically in
consumer after-sales surveys.
The Likert scale asks a
person to respond to a statement such as “I
would recommend this restaurant to my friends”,
choosing from the predetermined answers of “strongly
disagree,” “disagree,” “neither agree nor
disagree,” “agree,” and “strongly agree.” The Likert scale
was developed in 1932 and has been consistently validated over many decades of
use. We can effectively apply this rating system to our own state of health by
answering the statement, “I
enjoy high levels of health and well-being.”
We can than employ our truthful answers to make sound decisions on our
own behalf regarding future health-promoting activities.
If your truthful response is “strongly
agree,” you
probably have been engaged for a year or more in a regular, vigorous exercise
program and consistently follow a nutritional healthy eating plan. You do at
least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise five times a week, on most weeks.
You are probably at or
very near your target body weight (based on a calculation of your body mass
index, readily done at numerous online resources) and consume an appropriate
amount of calories on a daily basis. Overall, you feel fit. You sleep well and
wake up refreshed. You have abundant energy to do all the things you need to do
for yourself and your family, every day.
At the other end of the Likert rating system, if your truthful
response is “strongly
disagree,” you
probably haven’t done any form of exercise for some time. Of
course, such a circumstance might be the result of a serious illness. But if
your lack of engagement in regular exercise and healthy eating is related to
apathy or some other form of ennui, or in itself is a personal choice, it’s useful to consider the consequences of such inaction. Or, rather,
it could be personally beneficial to consider the value in taking on new habits
that result in your becoming a person who responds “strongly agree” to the statement, “I am healthy and
well.”
How do you get to “strongly
agree”? The
solution is three-fold.
The first part is to make a choice that you want to enjoy high
levels of health and well-being. No one is ever going to make such a commitment
because someone else told him or her they should, no matter whether that
someone is a spouse, other family member, or a physician. The decision must be
a personal choice.
The second and third components are to begin an exercise program
and a healthy eating plan. Exercise needs to be vigorous (“vigorous” is relative, based
on your age, overall health status, and other considerations) and done five
times per week. Healthy eating encompasses a wide range of selections and
options. One of the key elements is to consume at least five servings of fresh
fruits and vegetable every day.
The good news is that every person who begins and stays with such
a course of healthy living will soon reap the benefits. And not too long after
that, you’ll find you’ve become a person who sleeps better, has more
energy, and has, day by day, more fun in living. This is what healthy eating
and exercise is really all about.
References:
Chilton WL, et al: Acute Exercise
Leads to Regulation of Telomere-Associated Genes and MicroRNA Expression in
Immune Cells. PLoS One 2014 Apr 21;9(4):e92088. doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0092088. eCollection 2014
Michas G, et al: Dietary fats and
cardiovascular disease: Putting together the pieces of a complicated puzzle.
Atherosclerosis 2014 Mar 27;234(2):320-328. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2014.03.013.
[Epub ahead of print]
Yoon U, et al: Efficacy of
lifestyle interventions in reducing diabetes incidence in patients with
impaired glucose tolerance: a systematic review of randomized controlled
trials. Metabolism 62(2):303-314, 2013
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