Get in Peak condition to deliver health improvements
A new doctor-led five-day residential course in the Peak District aims to deliver long term health improvements to those at risk of preventable diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, strokes and diabetes.
Recent data from Public Health England showed 77% of men and 63% of women in middle age are overweight or obese and that obesity in adults has risen by 16% in the past 20 years. A senior public health professor, Sir Muir Gray, commented: “The demands of modern day living are taking their toll on the health of the nation and it’s those in middle age that are suffering the consequences most, as their [ill-]health reaches worrying new levels.” It is estimated that 85,000 people die early in England and Wales due to illnesses caused by sedentary living, mainly heart disease, type 2 diabetes and various cancers.
Between 2011 and 2015 the number of new prescriptions issued for diabetes medication in England rose by 35%. It is estimated that over 3.5 million adults in the UK suffer from diabetes. Anyone can develop type 2 diabetes, where the body doesn’t respond to, or fails to produce enough insulin leading to high sugar levels in the blood. Factors that increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes include being overweight, being over 40 years old, high blood pressure or heart disease, lack of exercise and smoking. The high blood sugar levels found in diabetics can lead to kidney failure, nerve damage, heart disease, strokes, blindness, recurrent infections and foot ulcers that may lead to lower limb amputations.
High blood pressure is thought to affect 1 in 4 adults in the UK and can lead to heart disease, strokes, kidney disease as well as causing damage to the eyes, brain and blood vessels. High blood pressure can be caused by obesity, increasing age, high salt diet, lack of exercise and poor sleep.
The combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity is known as metabolic syndrome and this significantly increases the risk of heart disease, strokes and other conditions related to blood vessels.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes can all be treated with medication but studies have shown that lifestyle modifications can be more effective than drugs. Sustainable lifestyle changes need to be driven by knowledge of disease and how the changes you make will benefit you.
This is the principle that the Apollo Course is based upon. On our 5 day residential course our staff of doctors, dietitians, outdoor and physical training instructors will give you the knowledge to understand the risks posed by poor diet and sedentary lifestyle and also show you how to achieve sustainable and realistic lifestyle change. We believe the benefits of our course will last a lifetime.
While working in emergency medicine, Dr Joe Rowles noticed that many of the patients he treated for potentially avoidable conditions had very little knowledge about their illness. Many patients were prescribed medicines by their GP for conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes but had little understanding of the non-medical treatments that can be as effective.
Evidence in peer reviewed medical literature has shown that lifestyle modification is more effective that medication in treating early diabetes. So why are these lifestyle modifications not recommended by GPs? The answer is time. Unfortunately 10 minutes is not anywhere near the amount of time required to explore a patients existing knowledge, explain how stress, high blood pressure, insulin resistance and obesity are linked and develop a personalised strategy involving realistic and sustainable lifestyle change.
The Apollo course is a 5 day residential programme that addresses mental and physical health education, nutrition, and diet and lifestyle modification.
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