Health Hints For The Businessman

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30534, 1 September 1964, Page 12

Health Hints For The Businessman

Smoking, obesity, excessive mental stress, too little exercise, and cancer are listed by a Christchurch doctor as “some of the more important health hazards to businessmen.” His article has been published by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce as its Economic Bulletin No. 472.

Smoking “might almost be classified as an occupational hazard” of businessmen, he says. “Successive studies in many countries have confirmed that cigarette smoking is • indeed bad for the health. “It is symptomatic of the grip that tobacco has on its victims that all these elaborate reports are found- necessary to convince the public of the dangers.” Turning to obesity,- the doctor says “food addiction is one of the leading health hazards of modern society. With the exception of cancer, all the major causes of adult mortality are adversely affected by obesity. Even the risk of suicide is so affected.

"Many fat people claim their appetite is smalt However, if they are given, under controlled conditions, a diet consisting of what they say they normally eat, they invariably lose weight. “There is no simple solution to the problem of weight reduction, and much more research is required into the mechanism of appetite control. Stress “Stress only becomes harmful when the subject of it becomes unables to- cope. The businessman, perhaps more than anyone,’is subjected to these stressful situations, although the frustrated housewife, trying, to cope with the family may be as prone to stress illnesses as her husband. “Sometimes under-employ-ment can be as potent a cause of stress as over-employment. “The more stressful one’s occupation, the more important it is to have outside interests.” Exercise On exercise, the doctor says the evidence is strong that exercise is good for the health, both physically and psychologically.. But “for a completely unfit businessman to suddenly go and play a strenuous game of squash would be the height of folly and would almost certainly lead to muscular injuries. Probably the best types of exercise for those in sedentary occupations are those in which activity is relatively mild and prolonged rather than short and violent. Cancer “Most businessmen will fall into the so-called cancer age group (40 to 65).

“There are a number of warning signs which should raise a suspicion of cancer. Only a thorough medical examination will enable the correct diagnosis to be made.”