Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 244 BOCNEWS.com FEBRUARY 2017 "For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord..." — Jeremiah 30:17 Iwould like to share with you now information that I trust will help you to live longer and better. It concerns some of the most critical health problems of our time. These health conditions are familiar to all health care workers and are called chronic diseases. Chronic diseases and conditions—such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obe- sity, and arthritis—are among the most common, costly, and preventable of all health problems. Half of all American adults have at least one chronic con- dition, and almost one of three have multiple chronic conditions. Just as chronic diseases share many of the same causes, many of the same strategies and interventions can prevent them or lessen their severity. We would do well to pay attention to these conditions, as they can affect any of us. Chronic diseases are responsible for 7 of 10 deaths each year and treating people with these diseases accounts for 86% of our health care costs here in America. Heart disease and cancer alone account for nearly 48 % of all deaths. This means far too many of us have preventable pain, suffering and even pre- mature death. Arthritis is the most common cause of disability. Of the 53 million adults with a doctor's diagnosis of arthritis, more than 22 million say they have trouble with their usual activities because of arthritis. So chronic disability is another ailment we have to contend with. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations other than those caused by injury, and new cases of blindness among adults. Obesity is a major health condition in our country and 1/3 of our country at about 78 million people are obese. This is something we need to get under control. Physicians and other health care workers spend a good proportion of their time treating individu- als and consoling families of sick people with chronic illness. In addition, health care work- ers may see people with mul- tiple conditions and the care of these may be a complex and challenging situation. It is such a prevalent problem that it is inescapable that this has to be done. It is tragic to know that yes people do have serious chronic illness, but it is even distressing to understand that a lot of what we encounter is preventable. It is possible to have a chronic health problem due to things we inherit, but most of the time what we see are preventable conditions due to lifestyle--which means our personal choices and prefer- ences. Let us look at the causes of the health issue we are dis- cussing and possible interven- tion. Health risk behaviors are what we have to be con- cerned about. These are behaviors we can change and this can help us to live longer and better. Health risk behaviors are unhealthy behaviors you can change. Four of these health risk behaviors—lack of exercise or physical activity, poor nutrition (with insufficient fruits and vegetables and too much fat, salt and sugar), tobacco use, and drinking too much alcohol—cause much of the illness, suffering, and early death related to chronic diseases and condi- tions. If we could help to decrease or eliminate these behaviors it would have a significant impact on the health of our nation. Besides the efforts of health care work- ers, churches can get involved by educating their members and communities abut the need to make impactful life style changes. We may not stop and think that being sedentary is a risk factor for some deadly health conditions such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and obesity. We should not consid- er making lifestyle changes as optional, this is something we must do. Sometimes we need to listen up and make changes in our behavior if a health care worker advises us. We need to also get screening as needed for thinks such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. These tests may help you to avoid a catastrophic ill- ness. I have spoken to many people about quitting smoking. All too frequently people tell me they are "cutting down" on the number of cigarettes they smoke, but they never really quit! Smoking is one of the underly- ing reasons for 480,000 deaths each year. It is imperative that we quit this deadly habit, and not just cut down! Drinking too much alcohol is another health issue. Drinking too much is responsible for about 88,000 deaths annually in the US with most of this being related to binge drinking. This is another control- lable unhealthy habit. It may seem like a I am nagging, but I am not. It is painful to see so many people just suffering need- lessly. By the time we get ill from the things noted it may be too late. This does not mean we do not try to help. However, prevention is better. It is preferable to take care of our body temples as the Scriptures tell us in I Corinthians 6: 19 and 20 : "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" The Challenge of Chronic Diseases Dr. Conner By Byron E. Conner, M.D. HEALTH Chronic diseases are responsible for 7 of 10 deaths each year and treating people with these diseases accounts for 86% of our health care costs here in America. Heart disease and cancer alone account for nearly 48 % of all deaths. 1. WOW GOSPEL 2017 2. CECE WINANS - LET THEM FALL IN LOVE 3. TRIP LEE - THE WAITING ROOM 4. GOSPEL PIONEER REUNION 5. MIGHTY CLOUDS OF JOY - REBIRTH 6. VASHAWN MITCHELL - SECRET PLACE 7. FRED HAMMOND - WORSHIP JOURNAL LIVE 8. SHAWN JONES - VICTORY 9. PAUL MORTON - LEGACY 10 LUTHER BARNES - THE FAVOR OF GOD