Biometric Numbers: Short vs Long Term

When you get your biometric numbers, if there are values that show you have to improve your health status, there are a couple of ways to take action, based on what you find.

Short Term Solution 

If you find that you are in the HIGH risk category for some biometric, this warrants immediate attention from your doctor. Go to them right away for counselling on the best course of action. They may provide medication to correct the numbers, or some other action.

This downside of this kind of short term solution is that it does not create healthy living behaviors. The upside is that it corrects for poor ones.

Long Term Solution

By contrast, according to the CDC, 75% of chronic disease symptoms can be managed by changing lifestyle behaviors like diet, activity, and mindfulness. In other words, in the vast majority of cases you can correct your numbers yourself by altering your lifestyle.

The downside of this is that it can be difficult — much harder that popping a pill. Lifestyle changes can involve family, friends, routines, background, culture, workplace, and on and on. In other words, those bad behaviors have been ingrained and are tough to reverse.

The upside is that there are no medications involved, no side effects, and once you establish the healthy living habits they’ll last a lifetime.

But these lifestyle alterations take time to practice, learn, and become routine before they start improving your numbers. So the message is to be patient with yourself, and with the process of creating new healthier habits. Take the long view.

NOTE: if your numbers indicate a high risk for any of the biometrics, you may need immediate help. In other words, lifestyle modifications are the way to manage your biometrics in the long term. If you need immediate correction to the numbers, start with the clinical route.