Today is World Health Day and the message from the World Health Organisation is that prevention is better than cure.

Of course, there are some diseases and illnesses that can afflict anyone indiscriminately. But we can also make a substantial number of life choices to help prevent, rather than cure any illnesses which come our way.

Quitting smoking, a healthy diet and exercise can all go a long way to helping prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes and life-threatening obesity.

Malta has one of the most obese populations in the world, and what’s worse is that we also have the some of the most overweight kids in the world. That means that we have already passed our bad habits on to the next generation, which will, in turn, pass the habits on to the generation after that.

Medical experts think that obesity will soon overtake smoking as the leading cause of death in the world and that hospitals and health systems should start gearing up for a massive epidemic in obesity, which will lead to huge strain on hospital bed management.

What’s even more worrying is that medical experts are already recommending that just like cancer, patients with chronic obesity, coupled  with heart disease and diabetes will lead to more need for palliative care because people’s bodies will be literally beyond repair.

And this is why people need to make healthy lifestyle choices now, before it is too late. People can make that choice any time, all it takes is willpower and the “get up and do something about it” attitude.

We are supposed to be a Mediterranean country that eats a healthy Mediterranean diet. But more and more people are turning to fast food as a means to sustain themselves. This is partly due to the pace of life. But if one were to just watch what goes into the making of nuggets and kebabs and actually read up about what goes in to preserved and easy-to-prepare foods, then they might very quickly change their minds.

The additives that we put into our bodies without even knowing it are of detriment to our health and there have been links made to cancers through the chemicals that are found in our foods. Exercise is also a big factor and one does not have to think big to make changes that will help their health. Take the stairs, rather than the lift. Walk two blocks to the shops rather than taking the car. Walk to work, if the distance allows it. Take 10 minutes out of your break to do some light physical work such as jumping jacks, jogging on the spot or body weight resistance exercises. Just as some people come to a crossroads in their life when it comes to health, we are – as a collective people – also at a crossroads. If we do not embark on a serious exercise to get fitter and shed some kilos, we will face an epidemic which will not only lead to painful personal loss, but could also bankrupt us. We need to do something and we need to do it fast.