One on One:
Tom Schedler, State Senator and Chairman, Northshore Start! Heart Walk
by Karen Gibbs
February is Heart Month, and with cardiovascular disease being responsible for over 32 percent of all deaths in St. Tammany Parish and 37 percent in Tangipahoa Parish, State Senator Tom Schedler is doing something to try to reduce those numbers. A respected advocate for health issues, Schedler is a natural choice to chair this year’s Northshore Start! Heart Walk on Saturday, April 5 at Fontainebleau State Park. We asked him to tell our readers about heart health and Start!
What issue does Start! address?
Cardiovascular disease is our nation’s #1 killer. Physical inactivity significantly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke; the latest figures report that 70 percent of Americans don’t get enough exercise.
What is Start!’s message?
Start! is the American Heart Association’s national campaign calling on Americans and their employers to create a culture of physical activity and health to live longer, heart-healthy lives through walking.
What can people expect as a benefit from exercise?
You will gain two hours of life expectancy for every one hour of regular exercise that you do.
What will take place at the Heart Walk?
The Heart Walk will highlight AHA’s “mission in action.” From start to finish, participants will have the opportunity to take part in activities and to improve their health by walking. The event will also feature live music, hands-on activities and a Heart Healthy Jambalaya Cook-Off contest.
What else can people do to protect themselves from heart disease and stroke?
It is very important to know your family history. Also, everyone should try to maintain a cholesterol level below 200mg/dL; blood pressure level less than 120/80 mmHg; fasting glucose level less than 100 mg/dL; body mass index less than 25 Kg/m2 and greater than18.5 Kg/m2; and a waist circumference less than 35 inches, also, exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes most days, if not all days of the week.
Are children at risk?
If current childhood obesity rates continue, today’s children will have shorter life spans than their parents. Make your children healthier by helping THEM take charge of their own health. Influence what they eat, where they eat, and encourage them to play and exercise more. Go to www.healthiergeneration.org for more information.
What special activities are planned for February?
Go Red for Women is the AHA’s national movement to make women aware of their risk for heart disease, the number one cause of death among women, and take action to reduce their risk. National Wear Red Day is Friday, February 1, and we ask the community to wear red to help raise awareness. We also encourage all women to take the Go Red for Women Heart Check-Up at www.GoRedForWomen.org to find out your 10-year personal risk for heart disease.
What can the local business community do to support Wear Red Day and the Go Red for Women campaign?
Businesses can rally their employees to help raise awareness and funds by asking them to donate $5 to wear red and jeans to work on National Wear Red Day or another appointed day in February. Call Darby Berthelot at the AHA, 504-830-2309, to sign your company up.
