Let’s have a heart to heart.

We all know by now that heart disease can affect anyone. But we also know what it takes to keep our ticker ticking. So what’s stopping us from doing all that we can?

It turns out it’s just a matter of making the time.

In 2010, the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Annual Report arrived with some surprising – and pretty scary – statistics concerning heart disease. “No Canadian young or old will be left unaffected,” it warned. While we have long associated the risk of heart disease and cardiovascular problems with older men – our fathers or grandfathers – the reality is that this serious threat is increasingly affecting a much broader demographic. Family and friends of all ages are suddenly considered at risk. Every one of is.

There’s some good news, though. We have the power to prevent heart disease through diet and lifestyle improvements, and – according to a more recent 2011 Heart and Stroke Foundation report – eight out of 10 Canadians know that. The same report, though, found that large numbers still did little to put their heart first. Their reason? The report listed time – or, rather, a lack of it – as the primary barrier Canadians cited as to why they’ve failed to make changes in their routines.

It’s clearly time to find the time for heart health.

A New Normal

Our unhealthy habits have caught up with us: Canadians’ lifestyles and eating habits aren’t what they used to be. Overall, the percentage of the population who are overweight or obese has surged and continues to increase dramatically. In 2008, Statistics Canada reported that 51 percent of Canadians over the age of 12 were overweight or obese. The highest obesity rates were among 55 to 64 year olds, with 22 percent of that age group carrying excess pounds.

It’s not just a problem in Canada, either. Over the past decade, upward trends in obesity have affected cultures around the world, and the World Health Organization has identified obesity as one of the greatest public health challenges of the 21st century. Worldwide, more than one billion adults are overweight and at least 300 million of them are clinically obese. And that’s not all: 22 million children over the age of five worldwide are estimated to be overweight, and most of them will become overweight adults – part of a continued cycle of poor diet and lifestyle.

Obesity – along with high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking – is one of the primary risk factors for heart disease. And it can affect anyone. More women die from heart disease and stroke every year than from all forms of cancer combined, yet 1.7 million Canadian women between 20 and 34 years old are still inactive and almost one million are overweight; more than 800,000 of them smoke. These unhealthy lifestyle practices not only contribute to poor health but also set the foundation for heart disease. Other demographics at risk include young adults, baby boomers, Canada’s First Nations population and Canadians of South Asian and Caribbean backgrounds. For many of these groups, recent years have seen significant increases in all of their key risk factors for heart disease.

Yet, despite these risks, Canadians still feel they don’t have the time to take the steps necessary to care for their heart health.

Finding Time For Heart Health

Our lives seem busier than ever. But what’s more important than investing time in our own health? Fighting the risk of cardiovascular problems requires you to take a good look at your diet and activity levels, and to make the commitment to lead a healthier life. The good news is that you have the power to change – many factors that increase your risk for heart disease are not out of your control.

Losing excess weight is a crucial step in preventing heart disease. Carrying excess fat can affect the body’s internal functions, scramble the normal hormonal balance and set the stage for life-threatening diseases. However, how you lose weight is an important consideration as well. While there are many different weight loss methods to consider, not all are ideal for everyone and certainly not for overweight individuals already battling cardiovascular problems. Diets based on starvation, liquid protein or very low-calorie consumption (under 800 calories a day) – not to mention surgical interventions – have all been associated with life-threatening arrhythmias.

A regimen that promotes lifestyle change may not only be safer, but is also the best approach to long-term health. This is where the U Weight Loss™ program comes in. The program is not a very low-calorie diet, doesn’t require liquid meals, nor is it a starvation diet. Instead, you’re able to eat nutritionally balanced meals that promote weight loss and motivate clients to reboot their activity levels for optimum health benefits. Following the U Weight Loss program will effectively reduce your heart disease risk factors, assisting with changing your lifestyle, reducing weight and body fat and improving your quality of life.

The decision is yours to make. You have the power to change your life and get on the path to good health. You just have to find the time.