by Serena Tan

Created on: January 02, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

"We have forgotten how to die of old age in this world. Instead, we die of man-made diseases that could and should be prevented."

How is it that as technology advances and new inventions are created to make life easier, more people in the developed world are dying of cancer, heart disease and stroke every year?

The key lies in a lack of Awareness and Action. More people need to know about the links between the lifestyles they lead and how these affect their bodies. But knowledge is nothing if it is not applied. There needs to be the additional effort of acting on the knowledge to make the tough but necessary lifestyle changes that will halt disease and put our overtaxed bodies back on the path to health and wellness.

Creating and Spreading Awareness
Let's talk about cholesterol. It is one of the fats in the blood and can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease and stroke. Yet how many people actually know this? We may vaguely "know of" good and bad cholesterol from what we read or hear about in the news, but not many of us will make the connection between what we are eating now on a daily basis and the disease that erupts years down the road. Even fewer will do something about this connection.

According to the Director of the Heart and Vascular Division at The George Institute for International Health, Associate Professor Bruce Neal, many Australians do not fully appreciate the health risks caused by cholesterol. If they did, many deaths could be prevented.

The good news is that high cholesterol is a problem that is preventable and treatable with a better diet, more exercise and (for some) medication. Unfortunately, most people are not even aware that they may be at risk of cholesterol-related health problems, and do not get their cholesterol levels checked regularly.

What can we do to educate ourselves on disease prevention and healthy living? For a start, we can read more. The Internet has incredible amounts of useful information from reliable, respected sources such as regulatory websites and medical research websites. Health magazines often carry short, easy-to-digest articles on the latest health and research findings. The library is a free resource for specialized and general health topics. That is where my husband and I chanced upon Dr. Sandra Cabot's wonderfully readable yet highly informative books on the Liver Cleansing Diet, weight loss and cholesterol.

Secondly, we must take greater responsibility for our health. Doctors treat symptoms; they

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