Like parent, like child. Good health begins at home with families providing a strong foundation for their children as they develop habits that may have profound implications in their future health.

According to the Edelman Health Barometer 2011, after “themselves” nearly half (43%) of respondents believe that their family and friends have the most impact on their lifestyle as it relates to health, and more than a third (36%) believe family and friends have the most impact on personal nutrition.

Healthy eating and exercise habits can be learned, so it is important for individuals to practice good health habits together as a family. Taking charge of the family’s health also involves preventive health checks.

By getting regular preventive health checks, you are taking steps that can give you and your family the best possible chance for a long and healthier life.

“Having a preventive health check is one tool the family can use to achieve their wellness goals. Of course, there are other ways like engaging in sports or physical activities, preparing healthy meals, avoiding vices such as smoking, drugs, and alcohol, educating the kids about the ill effects of these vices and so on,” said Dr. Rolando Balburias, director of The Medical City Center for Wellness and Aesthetics (TMC-CWA).

Dr. Balburias added that making wellness a family affair is actually an investment that can strengthen the security and assure the safety of the members of the family. He likewise encouraged individuals to have their preventive health checks together as a family to strengthen family support, compliance and involvement. Parents should be involved with their children’s health and wellness and vice-versa. Dr. Balburias cited one program, Pediatric Weight Management, where parents’ participation is vital.

“In addressing childhood obesity cases, you really have to include the parents because they are the ones who are buying the food; they’re the ones influencing what kind of lifestyle their children will have. But if the parents are okay with their children being sedentary, eating junk foods, then illness, instead of wellness, becomes a family affair,” said Dr. Balburias.

He stressed that wellness should be a top priority in family affairs. The family can be likened to the human body. If one part of the body hurts, the rest of the body is affected thereby weakening the entire system. Similarly when one family member gets sick, it affects the whole family in various ways - physically, financially, mentally, emotionally or spiritually.

When wellness becomes a family affair, the family’s wellness goal becomes more achievable or attainable. Adhering to a healthy lifestyle becomes a way of life. This is more effective with guaranteed lifelong results as compared to quick fixes to health problems.

Going to a one-stop shop like the Center for Wellness and Aesthetics for the entire family’s preventive health check is more advisable because it’s convenient and saves a lot of time and effort for the family.

TMC-CWA offers services and preventive health checks for different age groups. The Center houses four clinics that address the needs of children, adolescents, adults and geriatrics.

Doctors who can attend to patients belonging to different age groups can be provided by the Center. Members of the family can have their preventive health checks at least once a year.

Instead of having the usual health checks, Dr. Balburias said each member of the family should opt to avail of a personalized preventive health check package, one that is tailor-made to the specific needs of the individual.

TMC-CWA offers Customized, Optimized, Personalized (COP) preventive health check packages which are more relevant and cost-efficient. This is made possible through health profiling which is a value-added service of TMC-CWA aimed at giving patients a better understanding of their own health status.
Through health profiling, previous results and health check reports of each patient are retrieved, collated, tabulated and reviewed in detail by the Center’s Wellness physicians in order to show trends and emphasize health concerns that need to be addressed.

“With the basic annual health checks, the tests are always the same. Sometimes, there are more important things that you may miss. These tests are somewhat limited so it would be better if the health check package is customized,” said Dr. Balburias.

With preventive health checks, cost of treatment is less because diseases are detected in reversible phase or before complications arise.

Although it’s a completely overused statement, health is really wealth. Making health a priority will bring invaluable wealth to the individual and his family for generations to come.

For more information on preventive health check packages, please call Center for Wellness and Aesthetics at tel. nos. (632) 988-1000/ (632) 988-7000 ext. 6576 / 6579.