What do the data of the Canaries say?
If we take as a reference the statistical data collected lately, it is clear that the canaries have many things to change to improve our health. No, canaries are not in good health. Diabetes, very high rates of childhood obesity, increased heart attacks, excessive smoking, eating problems ... The list, unfortunately, goes on.
However, despite the latest figures received, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Our land, our products, our environment, are key when changing habits We have been acquiring the last times. In our hands is the solution! Keep reading and find out, because in this case the information is indeed power and will be key to start taking care of yourself and taking action thinking about your health and well-being (and in your children's, if you have them).
Did you know… In Canary Islandsdo we suffer from a series of diseases, above others and different from other Autonomous Communities of our country? We will tell you.
Obesity and diabetes type 2
Perhaps it is convenient to start pointing out that Canarias is a Community with a terrible problem of Childhood obesity y Type 2 diabetes.
Of childhood obesity in Canary Islands, we told you in this article, that our archipelago “is the place with highest rate of morbid obesity in Europe, according to World Health Organization (WHO) Recent studies have revealed that a 44,2% of Canarian children are overweight ”
About type 2 diabetes, We told you on the other hand, in an article at the end of 2018, that we were the region in which more amputations and renal dialysis were performed, seven times more than in the Basque Country, according to the latest data to which we had access. More recently we had access to this data "Canary leads the prevalence of type 2 diabetes throughout Europe" (and 11.600 new cases are registered every year). The highlight is that a 70% of these cases could be avoided, since this type of diabetes is “acquired”. If we improve our habits, the figures can start to improve.
Specialist interview
We invite you to watch the video interview what we do to the nutritionist from Aesthetic Health Clinic, Paula Arístegui; where he talks about Adult obesity to children in Canary Islands and share not only data but also a series of recommendations.
Food
As for our feeding: in Canary Islands too many carbohydrates, insane and obesogenic products are consumed, such as pastries and sweets, juices and bottled soft drinks, packaged products rich in saturated fats ... Bad eating habits that have been growing and developing with the increase in tourism.
Tourism has positively affected our islands in many ways, but in parallel we have been acquiring food references from many countries. The data is not surprising when they reveal that the index of obesity On the islands it is the highest in Spain.
Health studies have warned for several years that Obesity and overweight rates in our population go and have been increasing. Subject that is really worrying and in which the authorities are constantly working to try to solve these alarming figures.
As we told you recently in this new from our portal: the Sedentary lifestyle and poor diet are bringing consequences in the Canarian population.
Heart attacks
According to the data we share in this article, the heart of the canaries “stops” on average, 4 years before the heart of the rest of the Spaniards (average age of deaths due to heart attacks in Canary Islands = 74 years and in the rest of Spain = 78,4 years).
As we also mentioned a year ago in an article on this subject, regarding heart attacks, after studying the 415.000 patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction over a period of eight years, it was observed that Canarian men entered for this reason an average age of 61,7 years, compared to 65,3 of the Spanish average.
The second region with a lower age for men with heart attack at the time of the study was Navarra, with 64,6, three years older than in Canary Islands. The average age of admission with heart attack for Canary women was 68,4 years, compared to 73,9 of the country's average. The second region in this section is the Balearic Islands, with 72,5 years, four older than in Canary Islands. Definitely, heart attacks arrive much earlier in Canary Islands.
Neurological diseases
From the latest data to which we have had access, we know thanks to a study of the Spanish Society of Neurology presented at the end of 2019, which 5,4% of hospital admissions in the archipelago, are associated with neurological diseases.
This data represents a 41% increase over 15 years ago (in Spain this increase grew by 25%; so once again, we surpassed the average country).
What pathologies could we include in this section? We talk about diseases such as stroke, dementia, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy or brain trauma, among the most prominent.
Specialist interview
We invite you to watch this video interview that we carry out to the Technical Director of AFATE, an association with we actively collaborate with CanaryDoctor, who tells us the initiatives they carry out in the islands to help Alzheimer patients in Canary Islands (and his relatives).
In addition, you can find out all the data in Canary Islands, by province, from the latest study carried out by AFATE on the occasion of World Alzheimer's Day, here
What can we do about it?
In the Parliament of the Canarian Deputies, the President of Nutrition Without Borders and Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Lluis Serra Majem, warned that the deficient diet of the population of Canary Islands"is the real cause of public health problems".
An important and key fact when considering possible solutions to canary health problems, resides in our geographical situation and our climate. In Canary Islandsall products of the Mediterranean diet can be produced. In our islands lies the true key to Spanish health. We are producers of the best fruits and vegetables in the country, apart from enjoying an environmental quality that few provinces have.
In addition, our natural environment gives us endless possibilities when it comes to being able to practice a sport and generate healthy habits abroad.
We may have reached this point for the various reasons outlined above, but of course we have everything in our power to change this situation and Become a state health and welfare model.
With a good social awareness policy and an impulse to support local production and commerce, not only We will enhance and improve our health, but also our own economy. The solution is in our own hands. Bet on your health!Consume local products! Practice outdoor sports! Take care! and above all, find out (count on us for it).