The Big Health Debate: Party pledges for the NHS and diabetes

   (Flickr: 401(K) 2012)

Prevention

Diabetes is still on the rise and the general election is almost upon us. Thoughts have turned to our current health care system and whether it will creak under this added pressure or flourish into something more efficient than ever before.

Today in the UK a massive 3.2 million people are living with diagnosed diabetes, around 90% of whom have type 2 diabetes. And this number is predicted to grow...and grow...unless solid plans are put in place to encourage people to lose weight and get more active.  Just because diabetes is very common these days, let’s not underestimate the severe impact it has on the individual. Yes, the NHS needs to make cost efficiencies, but it also claims to patient wellbeing and outcomes at its heart.

So, how is each of the main political parties intending to strengthen our NHS, stop the growth in type 2 diabetes, and improve the treatment of those with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes?

Labour

•  Pledges to put an extra £2.5 billion into NHS funding to pay for more nurses, midwives and GPs and this money will come from taxation

• They will put a greater emphasis on prevention, rather than cure, to ensure that the NHS remains sustainable

 And to help fight diabetes...

• They will create a new national ambition to improve the uptake of physical activity

• They will set maximum permitted levels of sugar, sat and fat in foods marketed towards children

The Conservatives

• Aim to Increase NHS spending by £10 billion over the next 5 years, but they also stated that £8 billion of that would be invested towards the end of their time in parliament (regardless of the fact that the next two years are expected to be a problematic time for the NHS)

• This money is expected to result from a strong economy rather than taxation. Note: that is only IF the economy is strong enough

• They will provide more GPs which will give them the opportunity to develop 'personal' relationships with their patients

And to help fight diabetes...

• They 'hope' to make the UK the first nation to implement a national, evidence-based diabetes prevention programme, attempting to prevent health problems before they start by investing more in primary care

• They will continue to invest in physical activity, recognising its benefits to health and the prevention of diabetes

• They will take action to reduce childhood obesity by promoting clear food information

The Liberal Democrats

• They aim to increase real terms NHS funding by at least £8 billion a year (yes, a year!) by 2020. Hmm, we’re not sure that is very realistic...

• They wish to shift to a joined up, much more integrated NHS with the interest of its patients at its centre

And to help fight diabetes...

• They would encourage evidence-based 'social prescribing' of sport to help tackle obesity 

• They would build more cycle routes and open up sports facilities to promote physical activity

• They would restrict the marketing of junk food to children - banning such TV adverts before 9pm - and maintain the 'Five a Day' campaign

(Flickr: Alisha Vargas) 

What will the future hold for the NHS?

While the UK prides itself on a strong and efficient NHS compared to many other countries, there is always the opportunity to improve it further. And with the 7th May approaching rapidly, the hope for change and improvement is mounting.

Will the next five years change how we view the NHS today? Will we have turned the tide on diabetes, with more effective and consistent prevention and treatment across the UK? Fingers crossed!

What is a calorie and why are they so important?

So, what actually is a calorie? Most people have heard the term 'calorie' but very few know what a calorie really is and why it is so important that we avoid consuming too many on a daily basis.  

Quite simply: a calorie is a unit of energy. More specifically, it is the heat energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. It is this potential energy that fuels our bodies, not only during physical activity, but also whilst we are sleeping and resting (Basal Metabolic Rate). Our bodies are essentially energy-hungry machines that require a certain number of calories to keep them functioning healthily.

How do I calculate how many calories I burn daily?

It's pretty simple, really. Our bodies need energy to fuel anything we do and calories give us the energy that we need to do so. The body requires calories not only when you're desperately running to catch a bus, or breaking a sweat in the gym, but also when you feel as though you are doing absolutely...nothing!  

A bit technical, but interesting …

 

Basal metabolism (BMR) is on average the largest component of total caloric expenditure, significantly so in fact (60-70% of all calories consumed fuels basal metabolism). It represents the minimum amount of energy needed to keep your complex body functioning: pumping blood, regulating temperature, turning the cogs of your brain, and so on.

BMR ranges from person to person but you can calculate your personal BMR here. 

Example (A): You are a 35-year-old woman, 5'6" and weight 65 kilos (142 lbs)

Your BMR would equal 1418.4 and you would need to consume this number of calories each day to maintain your weight if you were resting all day. 

But if you decided to go for a run, and burned 500 calories doing so, you would need to consume even more calories:

BMR (1418.4) + Calories burned during run (500) = Total calories burned (1918.4)

The total number of calories that you would need to consume daily would be 1962 to stay at the same weight.

These estimates might not be flawless, but they do give a good idea about the number of calories that you should be consuming daily to maintain a healthy body weight. 

Calories in vs. calories out: getting the balance right!

Potential energy - energy that has been soaked up from sun and stored - is provided by all foods. However, certain foods possess a greater amount of potential energy than others and this is measured through calories. 

Fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are the three 'building-blocks' that make up all foods. Through the digestion process, enzymes in our bodies breakdown food into these components and 'unlock' the energy that they possess.

If you consume more calories than you expend your body has no use for this potential energy and, as a result, it is stored as fat. In contrast, if you expend more calories than you consume you will lose weight as you will need to access the stored energy that your body 'saved for later'. 

Being calorie-conscious doesn't necessarily mean stripping all of the high calorie foods from your diet. Rather, it is all a balance game. Tilting the 'calories consumed' or 'calories burned' scales either way too drastically could impact your health.

Balance is key!

You don't have to follow calories like a slave. Continue to enjoy a wide variety of tasty home cooked food. But having a better understanding of how many calories you are consuming and burning off will help you on the road to a much healthier, happier you.