Mens sana in corpore sano

NOW that we have flights to Melbourne from Dubbo, it doesn’t seem so unusual to talk about an event that’s happening down south this month, between October 17 and 20.

The 17th Alzheimer’s (Stop! If you’re under the age of 65 and think this isn’t relevant to you, keep reading, you have a job to do).

The 17th Alzheimer’s Australia Biennial National Dementia Conference in Melbourne has one key focus – to transform the way we think about dementia.

This means that whatever preconceived ideas you have about dementia can be put to the side. Assume then, just for a moment, that your knowledge is the tip of an iceberg.

Dementia is the number two killer of Australians. If you’ve ever asked Facebook to predict what day you might ‘cross over’, the Australian Bureau of Statistics can give you a pretty accurate idea of how it’s going to happen.

I know, that’s a bit bleak but bear with me!

The younger you are, the more likely that dementia is the exit sign you’ll see on your way out because 244 people are now diagnosed daily. By 2025, that number will be 318 people per day and by 2056, 650 people per day.

And by then, 42,000 people will be diagnosed per year with younger onset dementia.

What’s that?

Not cool, that’s what.

I’ve had a Member of Parliament tell me dementia is an issue not given the spotlight like other terminal illnesses such as cancer because it’s typically older people who get it.

Aside from the inference that adult children are being saddled with the depressing, isolating task of caring for their demented parent, who would be any less traumatised by their loss than a young family losing their mother or father to illness? It’s short sighted and out of touch.

It may be the natural ‘order’ of things, but dementia is far from normal, which explains why researchers are frantically trying to find a cure which could help prevent, slow down and maybe even reverse the effects of the disease.

Putting the lights back on in thousands of people’s lives.

But you’re 20 and the end of life seems non-existent. So what does any of this have to do with you?

For starters, have a look at your middle-aged parents.

Do they smoke? Have high blood pressure? Lack mental activity, or not learning new things?

These are risk factors found in a US study of 16,000 participants studied for two years. Nine per cent of them were diagnosed with dementia.

Your next step?

Mens sana in corpore sano. Yep, that’s Latin for “a healthy mind in a healthy body.”

Make good lifestyle choices for you and yours. Fight dementia.

#bethechange