Series offers tips for living long and well

Next lecture is May 12 at Las Ventanas

Gary Thompson/ViewHilary Meade, of the Nevada Cancer Institute?s corporate wellness center, talks about how a healthy lifestyle can help prevent cancer during the Healthy, Wealthy and Wise community education series at Las Ventanas, 10401 W. Charleston Blvd., April 15. Advertisement

Early to bed and early to rise may make a man healthy, wealthy and wise, but that's only part of the equation. It doesn't address things such as smoking, alcohol consumption, trans fats, stress or exercise.

So, Las Ventanas, 10401 W. Charleston Blvd., in conjunction with the Nevada Cancer Institute, 1 Breakthrough Way, just began a community education series that promotes good health.

Called the Healthy, Wealthy and Wise series, it began with a look at healthy lifestyles and how they could help one avoid cancer.

"Things change so fast in today's world," community relations director for Las Ventanas Warren Esselstrom said. "Our goal is to keep seniors abreast of all these changes ... I don't think education ever stops."

Esselstrom said Las Ventanas will offer a broad scope of educational programs beginning in September.

Attendees of the first event in the Healthy, Wealthy and Wise series, held April 14, learned that one third of cancer deaths can be attributed to smoking, according to the American Cancer Society. There is no screening mechanism to see if one is at risk for lung cancer, said Hilary Meade, outreach educator for the institute, and 87 percent of all lung cancers are attributed to tobacco use.

"We all know that the Marlboro man died from smoking, right?" she said.

The PowerPoint presentation also looked at the role diet, exercise and carrying around excess weight played in one's overall health. The slides included a graph showing an alarming spike in obesity rates over the past 30 years. There were guidelines for alcohol intake, de-stressing methods and what constituted exercise.

A slide showing McDonald's fries was used for the segment dealing with unhealthy fats.

"It's an extra 1,200 calories when you say, 'Supersize me,' " Meade said. "Some people are only supposed to have 1,200 calories a day."

Questions from the audience covered topics like the purity of Las Vegas tap water, sugar substitutes and whether iced tea was hydrating enough for the desert.

Attendee Dorothy Twesme, a retired teacher, recalled how fruits and vegetables were always a part of her family's meals when she was a child.

"Back then, a lot of people had gardens," she said.

Beth Garside, a retiree who'd worked for the Department of Justice, said she learned that tension could affect one's blood pressure.

The next Healthy, Wealthy and Wise sessions are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. May 12 about women's and men's health; 3 p.m. May 19 about smoking cessation; and 3 p.m. May 26 about sun safety.

All the presentations are free and open to the public. RSVP by calling 207-4215.

Contact Summerlin View and South Summerlin View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.