HEALTHY LIVING: WOMEN FACE SERIOUS HEALTH RISKS BUT DEVOTE LESS TIME TO WELLNESS

Diet soft drinks can help women concerned with their health cut down on calories. The three leading causes of death in women are heart disease, cancer and stroke. Diabetes is also increasing among women.

The term "women's health" is usually associated with reproductive health or breast cancer. But there are many other health issues women should consider.

For instance, the leading cause of death among women is heart disease, and more women die of lung cancer than breast cancer, said Stephanie Gilmore, director of the Missouri Health Department's new office on women's health.

More attention is being paid to women's health and to the differences in treatment for men and women, said Barbara Crowell, director of Womancare at St. Francis Medical Center, which offers monthly education seminars for women.

The three leading causes of death in women are heart disease, cancer and stroke. And an increasing number of women are dying from diabetes, Gilmore said.

The risk factors for all of these problems, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke, are the same: smoking, being overweight, an inactive lifestyle, high blood pressure and a diet high in fat and low in fiber.

The problem is not information about such risks, Crowell said. These days people are inundated with information. The problem is understanding the importance of following guidelines and placing a high priority on following them, Crowell said.

"Demands on our time are so great it becomes increasingly difficult to meet the recommendations for a healthy lifestyle," Crowell said.

Women lead such busy lives, many don't take the time to take care of themselves, said registered nurse Laurie Hill, a staff nurse in Southeast Missouri Hospital's Generations department, which offers programs for women and families.

While women seem to have less time to pay attention to their health, it's becoming increasingly important for them to do so because they are living longer, Gilmore said.

It's not unusual for women to live into their 70s, 80s, even 90s, Crowell said. To maintain a good quality of life, young women need to look beyond the next cheeseburger and cigarette and toward a life in which more than a third of their years could be spent past menopause.

"Chronic bad behavior can lead to chronic disease processes," Hill said. The roots of many chronic problems such as plaque in the arteries, high blood pressure, diseased lungs, loss of calcium in bones can begin when people are young and not taking care of their health.

It should be emphasized to young people, as early as grade school, that it's easier to establish good habits early than break bad habits later on, Hill said.

If women don't build a good foundation with healthy lifestyles, they may face chronic conditions as they get older, Gilmore said.

What to do?

-- Avoid smoking or being around people who smoke.

Women's death rate from smoking-related illnesses in Missouri increased 72 percent from the mid-'80s through mid-'90s, Gilmore said.

There was an explosion of women smokers in the '60s, Gilmore said, adding that the numbers of women smokers continues to increase.

-- Eat a healthy diet.

Research continues to show just how important nutrition is throughout your life, Crowell said. Consuming a diet high in fat and low in fiber has been shown to be a contributing factor in heart disease, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer.

Crowell said women should make sure they are getting daily requirements for nutrition, especially for vitamins and minerals, including calcium.

Being overweight is a contributing factor to diabetes, which is killing an increasing number of women Gilmore said.

The death rate for diabetes among women in Missouri increased almost 31 percent from the mid-'80s to the mid-'90s, Gilmore said. And African-American women are about twice as likely to have diabetes as white women. About 20 percent of African-American women over age 55 have diabetes, Gilmore said.

-- Avoid a sedentary lifestyle.

Exercise is important for weight control and stress control, Gilmore said. But as women's lives get busier, exercise often drops by the wayside.

"The worst thing for women is that they are working longer hours," Crowell said. That leaves them less time to be involved in an exercise program. But just 30 minutes a day can help a great deal.

-- See a doctor regularly.

Regular checkups, Pap smears and mammograms can detect problems early when they are most treatable, Cromwell said.

"Women are still looked at and view themselves as care givers," Hill said. "But as we tell our new parents, you can't take care of anyone else unless you take care of yourself.