Women's Health Facts

For this month's edition of the Ideal Connection newsletter, we've prepared a special article on women's health!

We hope that this information will raise awareness regarding women's health issues and encourage women and girls to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury.

Women's Health Facts 

• Women with a higher degree of abdominal obesity are especially susceptible to type 2 diabetes, and diabetic women have disproportionally higher relative risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) than diabetic men.[1]
• According to the most recent data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), [1] 20.2% of men (19.6 million) and 19.4% of women (19.2 million) were clinically obese (body mass index [BMI] _30 kg/m2 ), and 6.5% of men (6.3 million) and 8.2% of women (8.7 million) reported having diagnosed diabetes. [1]
• In 2014, 39% of adults aged 18 years and over (40% of women and 38% of men) were overweight. [2] 
• Abdominal obesity rates are highest in individuals ages 60 years and older, and are higher in women than men at all ages. [3]

Tips & Tricks for Women [4] [5] 

• Eat healthy: eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains & limit foods and drinks high in calories, sugar, salt, fat and alcohol.
• Be active: be active and maintain weight, reduce high blood pressure, diabetes, risk of heart disease and more!
• Protect yourself and your family: wear helmets, seat belts, wash your hands and always be ready for emergencies!
• Manage stress & pay attention to mental health: balance work, home and play, take time to relax, support your family and friends and get 7-9 hours of sleep each night!
• Get check-ups: ask your doctor how you can stay healthy and get the proper exams, tests and shots you need!

Hope you enjoyed this article on women's health! Stay healthy!

Resources:[1] Overweight and Obesity in women: Health Risks and Consequences. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/452831
[2] WHO http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/
[3] Part D. Chapter 1: food and Nutrient Intakes, and Health: Current Status and Trends. http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report/06-chapter-1/d1-5.asp
[3] Tips for a Safe and Healthy Life. http://www.cdc.gov/family/tips/
[4] Women's Health. http://womenshealth.gov/nwhw/about/