As a physician, I'm somewhat an advocate of patients. How come, before Mike Webster, no NFL player was told or knew that there was an intrinsic risk of brain damage from playing football?
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of patient advocacy and awareness of health risks in sports.
Bennet Omalu's quote highlights the critical need for transparency and education regarding the health risks athletes face, particularly in contact sports like football. He reflects on the historical neglect of informing players about the dangers of brain injuries, advocating for a more responsible approach to athlete health and safety.
In practice
During a health seminar discussing the risks of contact sports.
The choices you make each day in your diet and lifestyle have a direct influence on how your genetic predisposition is expressed - for better and for worse. You're only as old as your genes, but how your genes are expressed may be modified by exercise, diet and lifestyle choices much more than had previously been believed - and more quickly.
Your longevity and health are more determined by your ZIP code than they are by your genetic code.
If you take a reasonable amount of vitamin C regularly, the incidence of the common cold goes down. If you get a cold and start immediately, as soon as you start sneezing and sniffling, the cold just doesn't get going.
Good health is about being able to fully enjoy the time we do have. It is about being as functional as possible throughout our entire lives and avoiding crippling, painful and lengthy battles with disease. There are many better ways to die, and to live.
Self-care is the non-negotiable. That's the thing that you have to do. And beauty is the thing that can be the benefit of the self-care. Beauty is not the point. Beauty is just a cute side-effect from self-care.
Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
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