Do you think all of this will change the way people look after their own health?

[Makeitgoaway]

We know, even though many of us don't follow the advice, that very many health conditions are caused or at least contributed to by lifestyle factors.

Many of those people are now at increased risk and suffering additional restrictions.

Do you think coming out of this, people will begin to take more responsibility for their own health?

I know this will be controversial, it's not criticism of the people currently suffering, they are a product of their time, but do you think going forward the "time" will be different?

If you are suffering from a condition due to lifestyle choices this may be the opportunity improve your lifestyle. Anyone I know with an autoimmune disorder eg type 1 diabetes, thyroid disorder, artrithis, Asthma are already very healthy though.

Thyroid disorder- Graves Disease 🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm super healthy, eat well and exercise tonnes. BMI is still 28 because thyroids genuinely kill metabolism and you really have to limit calories.

I imagine most people will fall back into their usual habits.

I’m a type one diabetic, I also have no spleen, well no, I have a small bit left, so don’t need antibiotics as a precaution when I get ill.

I workout everyday, gym twice a week, 5k once a week and rugby training once a week. Obviously at the moment I’m working out at home everyday.

I have a good diet, mainly plant based (I do add in eggs).

I do drink too much alcohol and I do smoke, I certainly won’t be changing those two things.

@Makeitgoaway you mean like cyclical neutropenia, idiopathic neutropenia, myeloma, lymphoma and sickle cell anaemia?

If so please explain how we can look after our health better?

Have you looked at the list of the conditions on the government's shielded list OP?

People who have had organ transplants
People with cancer
People with cystic fibrosis and COPD
People with genetic mutations
People on intensive immunosuppressive therapy (lupus, arthritis etc)
Pregnant women with congenital heart defects

Which of those is a lifestyle choice? Possibly COPD will drop off as smoking becomes a thing of the past (although in my relative's case, it was caused by their parents smoking, rather than them).

But that's it. What else is caused by unhealthy choices?

I think some people do take their health for granted, with an assumption that bad health simply won't happen to them despite smoking or overeating or heavy drinking.
If anything good can come out of this pandemic it might be that it does serve as a wake up call to look after ourselves as much as we can.

LittleLittleLittle Of course OP doesn't mean that. She means will we do basic things designed to keep us healthier more because actually we shouldn't just do what we want then expect someone else to fix us. I'd really like to think people will keep fitter, eat better, smoke less, take better care of their teeth, eat things that will boost their immunity, be more careful doing DIY etc so that things that can be alleviated by home care can be, leaving the medical profession to help people with the things you describe. I think this will be some people and others will just go back to how they were. I think people might become less high maintenance too. I kid you not when I say I had a call earlier from someone asking me what shampoo to buy as they never wash their hair, just go for a weekly wash and blow dry.

Are people trying their hardest to be offended? People who work out, eat healthily and don't smoke or drink too much get sick less. Of course they still get sick, sometimes very seriously. But yes, eating crap while sitting on your arse, particularly while smoking, isn't a great idea.

Is this a surprise to people?

I haven't seen any evidence that people who live 'healthy lives' are less likely to be affected by CV than those who don't (other than morbid obesity) and leaving smoking out of the equation.

But in answer to the OP's question, no, I don't think it will have any impact at all.

Clymene alcohol consumption might be a factor
www.globalhealthnow.org/2020-03/hold-quarantinis-alcohol-and-novel-coronavirus-might-not-mix

(other than morbid obesity) and leaving smoking out of the equation.

Apart from the two really obvious ways we're right, we're wrong. OK.

Apart from falling and dying, I see no reason not to jump out of an aeroplane without a parachute.

No OP I don't believe that people will change their lifestyles. My DMIL has completely uncontrolled type 2 diabetes (had it for over 20 years), a huge addiction to sugar and has now got dementia. She's had constant thrush and skin infections over the last year and will not cut back on sugar despite being told to by the doctor. So even when it impacts on them on a daily basis some people won't change so why would a virus which presumably didn't kill them change anything?

@MrsEricBana Are you just ignorant or trying to be offensive?

All the conditions I've listed are conditions that lower your immunity. You cannot do anything to raise your immunity if you have them, as the conditions are either genetic or sporadic.

I have one of the conditions listed and to the outside world I look extremely healthy. (Well people don't see me when I'm ill.) In fact even doctors unless they have come across it before or researched it don't understand it's implications.

Some people will change their lifestyles, others won't. I notice some people on this forum have taken it as a wakeup call to lose weight. Good luck to them.
There's also some people who seem to take pride in deliberately ignoring advice on health from the government. What can you do?

@Clymene The conditions people in the extremely vulnerable group which I have listed in my previous post are disorders of granulocytes, disorders of red blood cells and blood cancers.

Is the OP and some others on the thread really saying that people who have these disorders including cancer have it because we didn't look after ourselves?

@MrsTerryPratchett very well put, as ever!

The vast majority of people are not morbidly obese, aren't alcoholics and don't smoke. But they're not especially healthy either.

Unless you can demonstrate an actual link between CV complications and healthy living, then I think you're on a hiding to nothing.

And the reason I'm pissed off about this thread is that a) the people who are at highest risk of death have underlying conditions that are not their fault
and
b) that 'healthy' lifestyles are too often something that are only available to the middle classes.

I dislike the undertone of blame here.

OP - oh no surprise you have run away

Are you seriously suggesting that people with granulocyte disorders, red blood cell disorders and blood cancers who are in the extremely vulnerable group have caused these diseases ourselves? As this is what this entire thread is suggesting.

I have certainly changed my ways so far.
it's so scary to think I have two young children and due to a huge weight gain last year (6 stone due to mirtzapine) it has really hit home how unfit I am now and how much harder it could be for my body to cope with more pressure on it if I contracted coronavirus. The thought I could die leaving them and my husband behind is terrifying.

Luckily, due to only going shopping once a week now, I'm just buying meal time food and then the fruit and yogurts for the kids so my mindset has HAD to change, no more snacking and if I feel genuinely hungry between meals I'll have an orange and a pint of weak orange squash.

Hopefully I keep it up, I'm already seeing the benefits in my mood as I'm feeling more positive so fingers crossed a positive can come out of all this for me.

@MrsTerryPratchett no I'm not trying hard to be offended but I'm fed up of the ignorant comments that have been made on MN and elsewhere online about people in the extremely vulnerable group.

Load of us aren't old and have disabilities/conditions that aren't visible.

I’m not sure that healthy lifestyles are only available to the middle classes.

Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and recreational drugs are all expensive and yet cost money. Anyone cutting one or more of those out of their life would experience both an improvement in their health and an ease on their finances.

Healthy eating is a different debate.

I haven't seen any evidence that people who live 'healthy lives' are less likely to be affected by CV than those who don't (other than morbid obesity) and leaving smoking out of the equation.

People who live healthy lives are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, chronic lung diseases and certain cancers, and I believe the figures show that people with those conditions are more at risk of dying from Covid 19. I think there was a report about this in the Times a couple of weeks ago but it's probably behind a paywall.

Little I would imagine that most of us would like people to take responsibility for their health via their lifestyle so that there is more money available for health issues that can't be sorted with lifestyle changes. I'm sorry if you've seen nasty comments on here about the extremely vulnerable, I haven't - I would have thought MNHQ would zap them pretty fast.

I did run away, I went out for my run!

I didn't for a minute say everyone with additional health issues had brought them on themselves but we do know that we change our chances of having some of them and can change the severity of some of them by certain lifestyle factors.

It won't help everyone but it will help some, I just wondered if people might do more of what they can to help themselves in the future, having seen the peril which they have been in. Which would be a good thing, how could anyone argue with that?

I think I see what you mean OP. I am not terribly fit, have mild asthma and am only just in the healthy weight bracket. I have started exercising every day, just on my exercise bike in front of the TV, and eating more healthily. My reasoning is that covid 19 in a disease that affects the lungs so I should do what I can to improve the health of my lungs so that I hopefully have every possible chance of fighting it off. I'm a little ashamed that it took this to motivate me, and hopefully I'll continue in the future. A bit of a wake up call if you like.