Every year 36 million people die from non-communicable diseases. Gerard Scott, manager of Business Development Employee Benefits at Sagicor, who shared those statistics yesterday during a breakfast seminar hosted by the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said that is why making the right lifestyle choice is important.
Speaking on the theme of the seminar, Measuring the Impact of Diabetes on Business, Scott said: "Ailments like cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers, chronic respiratory disorders and diabetes, account for 63 per cent of deaths worldwide and are largely the result of lifestyle choices."
He said the World Health Organization attributes nearly all of these "premature deaths to smoking, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol."
Scott also gave a history of diabetes and highlighted how diabetes and other non-communicable diseases impact on businesses.
He said the key elements to diabetes management are education, physical activity, nutrition, weight management, medication, lifestyle management, blood pressure and wearable technology.
"Wearable devices are commonly used to measure fitness. In addition to movement tracking, these devices also monitor sleep or heart rate. Some even track body temperature, blood oxygen levels and respiration, while some monitor glucose in diabetic patients," he said.
Scott said the wearable technology is becoming more popular and a recent survey showed that 60 per cent of wearable users bought their device within the last six months.
"They're generally younger and more affluent, between 18 and 34 years and making upwards of $100,000 a year. As functionality, battery life and style have improved, they are also sticking with the programme. Health is an investment," Scott said.
"One survey found that for every $1 invested on wellness, $3 was saved in medical costs. While there are varying findings, it seems that cost savings do not materialize until a wellness programme has been in existence for at least five years.
"An effective wellness programme and wearable technologies that generate consistently accurate results are necessary to the success of wellness-related insurance offerings," he said.