Health alert
Doctors in the Czech Republic are ringing alarm bells: medical statistics show that the health of the nation is rapidly deteriorating in the wake of short-lived improvement in the early 90s. Over half of the population is overweight. High cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, stress and a sedentary lifestyle are responsible for the fact that one in two Czechs die of cardio-vascular diseases. One in four die of cancer and one in five as a result of heavy smoking.
At eight o'clock in the morning fast food outlets are doing good business. Among those who walk in are kids who have declined their morning cornflakes in favour of a "hambac" - the Czech slang for hamburger. After the fall of communism, Czechs were quickly exposed to two novel trends: Western fast food and the cult of health and well-being. Both were embraced with zest but while the former has taken deep root, people quickly got tired of keeping an eye on their cholesterol level. Prof. Rudolf Poledne is a leading Czech cardiologist:
"Fast food is one reason, another reason is that due to competition on the market the price of butter, cheese and high-fat milk have become quite inexpensive so many people have gone back to consuming butter, high fat cheese and such products. Another factor is that, like elsewhere in Europe people are using their cars more, and we don't move enough, as compared to the 70s and 80s. The result is a step by step increase in our body mass index. The prevalence of obesity in the Czech population is 30 percent which is probably one of the highest in the world."
"I am trying to quit smoking - only half successfully though, that's all."
"I am trying to lose a few kilos."
"I don't think I do anything. The opposite, rather: a sedentary job, not much activity. In part I think it is due to laziness, in part not enough time."
" There's not much to tell you. I try to eat plenty of vegetables, but that's all."
"I am a diabetic and I do what the doctor tells me. I've been ordered to stop drinking, so I don't drink."
A poor diet and sedentary lifestyle are responsible for a lot of the damage, but so is smoking and drinking. Today the Czech saying "pije jako Dan" or "he drinks like a Dane" no longer applies - last year Czechs crossed the magic barrier of 10 litres of hard alcohol per head, leaving the Danes far behind. Efforts to reduce smoking among the population are also meeting with opposition.
"Try to move much more. Walk, run. If you are young, take up sports, exercise as much as you can. Use the stairs, elevators are not necessary. Also, try to keep your body weight within the "normal" range, check your weight once a month at least and if see it going up, try to change your diet. Incorporate fruit and vegetables into all your meals, breakfast included. We should aim to reach the age of 60 to 70 without any special medication. Many of our chronic illnesses are the result of a poor diet and lifestyle. Moreover medical care is expensive - it is much easier to change your lifestyle."
