Why is Know Your Numbers Week Important for Workplaces?

Know Your Numbers Week is an annual campaign held every September (in 2023 it’s the 4th to the 10th of September) dedicated to raising awareness about the significance of understanding and monitoring vital health numbers. This initiative encourages individuals to take proactive measures in managing their health by tracking key metrics such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, body mass index (BMI), and more.

In this blog post, we will delve into the importance of Know Your Numbers Week, exploring the profound impact it can have on our overall well-being.

Promoting Preventive Healthcare during Know Your Numbers Week

One of the primary reasons Know Your Numbers Week holds immense importance is its emphasis on preventive healthcare. By actively participating in this campaign, individuals gain the opportunity to regularly monitor their health indicators. This practice allows for the early identification of potential health issues before they develop into more serious conditions.

Regular health screenings can detect warning signs of diseases such as hypertension, high cholesterol, or diabetes, even when they are asymptomatic in their initial stages. By being proactive about their health, individuals can intervene early and seek appropriate treatment or make lifestyle modifications to manage their conditions effectively.

To put the importance of this in perspective, consider this question: when was the last time you had your blood pressure, cholesterol or blood glucose checked? Chances are you may not have had it done for a long time, especially if you’re under 45. In England alone, there are over 5 million people walking around currently with no idea that they have high blood pressure, simply because they haven’t had it tested.

Raising Awareness about Silent Killers

Know Your Numbers Week plays a vital role in raising awareness about “silent killers” – conditions that often lack noticeable symptoms. As we discussed in the last point, many people will have high blood pressure and not know it. All the time, the condition will be damaging their blood vessels and organs.

Conditions such as high blood pressure and high levels of cholesterol pose significant risks to our health and can lead to severe complications if left undetected and uncontrolled. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that high blood pressure is a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases, and a major cause of premature deaths worldwide each year.

By participating in Know Your Numbers Week at work, individuals gain a better understanding of the risks associated with these conditions, motivating them to take proactive measures to maintain their health and prevent potential complications. Hosting an event in your workplace, therefore, can help staff lead longer, happier and healthier lives.

Empowering Individuals to Make Informed Lifestyle Choices

Another crucial aspect of Know Your Numbers Week is its role in empowering individuals to make informed lifestyle choices. Monitoring and understanding our vital health numbers provides valuable insight into our current health status.

For example, tracking our body mass index helps us assess whether our weight falls within a healthy range. BMI is by no means a perfect marker of health, but it is useful as part of a wider understanding of our numbers, when considered alongside stats such as body fat percentage and muscle mass. Similarly, understanding our cholesterol levels allows us to make dietary modifications to reduce our intake of saturated fats and lower the risk of heart disease.

Knowledge about our health numbers empowers us to take control of our health and make positive changes to our daily routine, such as adopting a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity, and managing stress effectively.

Identifying Red Flags for Chronic Diseases

Chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease have a significant impact on an individual’s quality of life. Regular health screenings during Know Your Numbers Week facilitates the early identification of risk factors associated with these conditions.

As we mentioned earlier, there’s a good chance that some of your staff haven’t had their numbers checked recently. In fact, some of them may have never had a blood pressure test at all.

Monitoring blood glucose levels, blood pressure, and other relevant markers enables individuals to take proactive steps to prevent or manage these conditions effectively. This can be especially important if someone’s results are normal or borderline, as simply knowing their numbers can help them on the right path.

For those at risk, by identifying red flags early on, individuals can work closely with their doctor to develop personalised strategies that promote disease prevention and management. This early intervention can significantly improve health outcomes and reduce the burden of chronic diseases. Simply put, it can improve the chances of a longer, happier and healthier life.

Encouraging Healthcare Professionals’ Engagement in Know Your Numbers Week

Know Your Numbers Week fosters collaboration between individuals and their healthcare professionals, emphasising the importance of regular health check-ups and open communication.

With a New Leaf Workplace Health Screening, our skilled practitioners offer attendees some great tools and knowledge about their health numbers. If these numbers show the individual is at risk, we’ll recommend that the attendee visits their doctor, armed with this information to allow for further investigation. If there’s a problem with the individual’s health, going in with this information can speed up diagnosis and treatment.

Furthermore, engaging in conversations about vital health metrics allows healthcare providers to assess an individual’s overall health, offer personalised recommendations, and devise appropriate treatment plans if necessary.

Through this campaign, individuals are encouraged to schedule routine check-ups and establish a strong relationship with their healthcare providers. Regular monitoring of vital health numbers in partnership with a workplace wellbeing provider like New Leaf Health helps to improve the knowledge of attendees and gives them more confidence when speaking to a doctor.

Ultimately, staff who are regularly well-attended to by their doctor will be healthier overall. They’ll be sick less often and are therefore more likely to be more productive at work.

Conclusion

Know Your Numbers Week serves as a powerful reminder of the critical role that preventive healthcare plays in safeguarding our overall wellbeing. By actively participating in this campaign and monitoring our vital health numbers, we empower ourselves to make informed decisions, take charge of our health, and identify potential health risks before they escalate.

The knowledge gained through a simple workplace wellbeing campaign, such as health screening, allows staff to adopt healthier lifestyles, seek timely interventions, and prioritise their wellbeing for a healthier and happier future.

If you’d like to learn more about how we can support your Know Your Numbers campaign at work, feel free to give us a call on 01384 877 855 or email enquiries@newleafhealth.co.uk.