Making health changes During Covid-19
When I was studying for my national board certification exam in health and wellness coaching, I learned about metabolic syndrome and all of the possible intersections of health conditions that make up this diagnosis. In case this is a new term, metabolic syndrome is when a person has two or more of the following conditions which increases their likelihood of developing heart disease, stroke or Type 2 diabetes:
High blood pressure (hypertension)
High blood sugar
Abnormal cholesterol or high triglyceride levels
Excess body fat around the waist
Having one or more of these increases a person’s risk of developing a serious disease or chronic illness. As I studied the intersections of these conditions, I learned so much about how one diagnosis is often a precursor and unwelcome partner to another – meaning that often where there is one condition, like excess body fat around the waist, there may also be the presence of high blood pressure or high blood sugar. When put together, these become a recipe for serious disease.
1/3 of Americans live with metabolic syndrome. Many may not know it, because there may be no outward symptoms. This is why getting annual bloodwork and lipid panels are important, because they help a person see what’s happening from the inside out.
In this era of Coronavirus, medical studies are surfacing that indicate that the same conditions that can lead to metabolic syndrome are also the same conditions that have been found in many who have died with complications from COVID-19.
In a recent study published in The Lancet (1), an independent medical journal that has been published since 1823, multiple medical institutions worked together and discovered that “common comorbidities [with COVID-19] are hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and, more rarely, obstructive pulmonary disease.”
As a result of this discovery, Johns Hopkins Hospital discovered in late March, 2020 that more young people who were obese and that obesity is now considered an “underappreciated risk factor for COVID-19.” This is of great concern in the United States where obesity affects 40% of the American population. The idea that this could affect younger people is not only sad, but unthinkable for me. As a health and wellness coach and guide, I deeply want to help people successfully make the changes they dream of for their health.
So, what can we do to help those who may be ready to change their lifestyle to be more healthy? It’s important to note that readiness is the key ingredient to successful change. If a person isn’t ready, change is not likely to occur and likely not for the long-term.
Empathize. It’s a big decision to change lifestyle and health habits, and making these changes is often difficult.
Empower them to take ownership of their health. Encouarge them to start with their primary healthcare provider and partner first as they embark on a mission to take back their health. This will allow them to understand what’s going on from the inside out as the evaluate bloodwork and lipid panels.
Help them identify support. In addition to their primary healthcare provider, Once they have a better understanding of their bloodwork and data people need to make significant changes and would appreciate a partner.
Partners like board certified health and wellness coaches offer evidence based methods for helping people look at their whole lifestyle and health and serve as an encouraging and positive force to help them make big victories from small wins. This happens through vision setting, SMART goal setting, and allowing the client to make self-directed change that are aligned with the guidance of their primary healthcare provider.
While the client is the expert on their body and ability to make change, having a triage of support through care and coaching can be team that helps them meet their desired goals. Healthcare providers cannot be there weekly, whereas, coaches and clients can establish routine coaching sessions and check-ins along the path to change for optimal health and overall improvement with weight, lowering blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and reducing cholesterol.
In a pandemic, many take pause to evaluate their health and what they can do to make lifelong lasting changes for their health. There’s no better day than today to pick one small victory to focus on and begin making that first step toward better health.
To set up a free consultation or learn more about how a board certified health and wellness coach can help, click below to set up a free consultation.
1 The Lancet. Obesity could shift severe COVID-19 disease to younger ages. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31024-2/fulltext. Date: May 4, 2020
Additional resources: Johns Hopkins University. COVID-19 dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
Grasselli G, Zangrillo A, Zanella A et al. Baseline characteristics and outcomes of 1591 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 admitted to ICUs of the Lombardy Region, Italy. JAMA. 2020; (published online April 6.) http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.5394