Hooked on healthy living

Date: February 9th, 2006

Author: By JOHN GILLIS Health Reporter

Derek Linders is a health-care official's dream Nova Scotian.

Two years ago the Halifax man was one of the many overweight, inactive citizens with chronic diseases whose growing need for medical treatment threatens to overwhelm the system in coming years.

Today his health is good and getting better. On May 21, Mr. Linders, 39, plans to complete the 2006 Blue Nose Marathon in less than five hours. It will be his second time in the event. Last May he did the half-marathon.

Mr. Linders has Type 2 diabetes. In 2004 he weighed well over 300 pounds and his blood pressure and cholesterol levels were "through the roof."

At the time his doctor gave him the option of going on insulin besides his regular oral medication to control the diabetes right away, or buckling down for a month to see if he could commit to lifestyle changes to manage the disease.

"If I was going to be going on insulin there would be an awful lot of complication in figuring out dosages and timings and stuff like that," Mr. Linders said after a jog around the Grand Parade in Halifax at the kickoff for this year's marathon. "So if I was going to have to be taking some extra effort that way, why not take some extra effort figuring out what I put into my body and what I did with my body as well?"

He changed his diet and started cycling. He began running in winter to keep off the weight he'd lost and soon found he was hooked.

He's dropped to 240 pounds and hopes to reach 200 by next year. His blood work is normal, better than average for a diabetic, and his doctor says he's now at no higher risk for heart disease than the average person.

Last year the Blue Nose Marathon won the Canadian Medical Association's Award of Excellence for Health Promotion.

This year Mr. Linders, four other individuals and a team of runners from Burton Ettinger Elementary School in Halifax have joined together to form Team Myles, named for the run's mascot, and will post their stories and training tips at BlueNosemarathon.com in the lead-up to the event.

Doctors Nova Scotia sponsors the Blue Nose youth run and an in-school program in which students run the equivalent of a full marathon during the year, culminating in a four-kilometre stretch during the marathon weekend.

Dr. Graeme Bethune, a Halifax general practitioner and Doctors Nova Scotia board member, said running is a fun, low-tech way for kids to get active.

Dr. Bethune, who plans to run his third half-marathon in May, said it's hoped kids will get hooked on the sport and develop lifelong good habits, bucking trends of increasing childhood obesity and inactivity.

With a good pair of shoes, most children should be able to start running with no worries, he said.

Adults who want to start exercising after years of inactivity should consult their doctors before hitting the road.

(jgillis@herald.ca)

"If I was going to be going on insulin there would be an awful lot of complication in figuring out dosages and timings and stuff like that."