health

In Australia, the life expectancy of Aborigines is 17 years shorter than that of other Australians.

Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has implemented a new system to resolve this issue.

He has committed $17 million to train Aborigine nurses and doctors.

For many years, unemployment and poverty amongst Aborigines has been much higher than the national average.

Buster Martin is a 101-year old Marathon runner who yesterday ran in the London Marathon.

Although Buster is 101 years old, he still tries to live an ordinary life.

He drinks and smokes regularly. He also has a day job as a van cleaner for a plumbing company in London.

Buster, who married at 14, also has 17 children, the oldest is Roberto who is now 87.

Martin's life philosophy is simple. He says that although he is not a millionaire in money, he is a millionaire in health.

Research by Medibank has shown that healthy employees are three times more productive than unhealthy ones.

Similar research has shown that unhealthy people take 18 days of annual sick leave, compared to just the 2 days that healthy people take.

As a result of this, the state of Tasmania in Australia has began to kit its workforce out with a 'Get Moving at Work' kit.

This kit has already proved successful for Zinifex Rosebery mine, which won an award for Best Workplace Health and Wellbeing Program.

One of the most demanding physical challenges is the Marathon.

This concept is one that comes out of Ancient Greece.

Pheidippides, an Athenian messenger, was sent by his generals to Sparta in order to secure help for the dwindling Athenian Army.

Athens was under great pressure from the hordes of Persians that had come to attack it.

Without help from Sparta, Athens would have easily been captured.

The great challenge was to get word to Sparta, some 250km, as a matter of urgency.

Dr. Deepak Chopra cites that our organs have the capacity to perform sufficiently and healthily for 170 years.

Despite these facts, very few people live long and healthy lives.

We live in very fortunate times. We can live longer and healthier than any generation before us.

We should all be living to 80 or 90 years of age in good health.

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