Almost no week goes by without the Health Ministry organizing some kind of event to increase awareness on matters concerning the most precious thing each and every one of us has – our health.

Recently, we had the start of the campaign on the dangers of staying in the sun too long and during the hotter hours, a campaign that is embarked upon before summer each year. We have also had an awareness exercise on breast cancer, which is a major killer among the Maltese female population; one on hypertension which, again, is a main cause of conditions and deaths; and another to combat obesity, which is a growing concern. Soon we will have a campaign against smoking to coincide with world no tobacco day.

At other times of the year, we have other campaigns that concern other diseases and situations, and all are intended to make the public understand better how important it is to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Over the years, improvements in the quality of life and in medicine have enabled humans to live longer and better. Life expectancy has increased in the developed countries, and it is expected to get better too.

However, it must also be pointed out that the way we live today could in the long run be to our detriment. For example, if we live a sedentary life and do not exercise as much as we should, then we could be in trouble. If we eat only junk food and consume sugary drinks all day long then we should expect complications in our digestive system or worse. If we spend long hours in the sun to get a tan and look cool then it will not be a surprise if we develop skin cancer.

As in everything else, moderation is the best way forward. We should, first of all, find the time to exercise. Half an hour less in front of the television or on the computer would do wonders if we spend that half an hour on a brisk walk. Apart from the physical aspect, exercise refreshes the mind too.

Secondly, as much as possible we should try to eat healthy food. There are too many people who are either obese or over-weight. A healthy diet and good exercise will go a long way to help us lead a healthier life. In particular, we should not give bad examples to our children in the way we eat. Even here, the number of children who are over-weight or obese is quite alarming.

Going for walks or doing some form of exercise and changing the way we eat is not an easy decision. It takes a change of mentality, and very often we find it hard to get out of a routine to start another. With some effort and willpower, we will manage.

But there are little things that we can do with much less effort. For example, the use of salt in our food – which is one of the causes of hypertension – could be cut down drastically. It does not take much not to add that little bit of salt while cooking or when we sit down to eat.

Eating fresh vegetables and fruit – there was another campaign on this too – is also something that we will get used to quickly. Instead of a cheesecake or oily pizza, why not go for an apple or banana?