Health & Wellbeing Week

Tuesday, 7 October 2014 05:57

The Woodstock and Area Community Health Centre kicked off Community Health and Wellbeing Week in Oxford County.

OXFORD COUNTY -- The Woodstock and Area Health Centre have kicked off Community Health and Wellbeing Week in Oxford County.

During the week, the WACHC will host a number of events and activities, promoting that health is more than just not being sick.

Community Health Outreach Worker Trevor McLellan says leading up to this week, they invited the public to submit photos for their Belonging Photo Contest, as well they are hosting number of events and activities. "There's one on Stress Management because stress affects your health and wellbeing in many, many different ways and that's on Wednesday. And on Thursday we also have a program in our kitchen called Budget Smackdown because you know what you're doing with your money and where your money is going is a big part of health and wellbeing and it's in the kitchen which means there's some healthy eating going on which is always good."

The winners from the photo contest will be announced as well on Wednesday and the United Way Oxford is also hosting Bridges out of Poverty on Thursday.

McLellan highlights the importance for community health and wellbeing. "To get people to recognize that health is more than just not being sick, health is about your wellness, it's about your wellbeing, it's about your family's wellbeing and it's about your community at large. It's more than just I'm not sick today. So we're trying to work with people to show that health and wellbeing is a very big picture sort of situation."

McLellan says they're aiming to reframe the discussion about health and health care, and spotlight the importance of addressing all determinants of health -- preventing more so less the can treat less.

He says there are two sides community health and wellbeing; physical and community as well as financial. "There's actually studies that show that they have less incidence of heart disease and heart attacks and so on and that costs our health care system less. So if we're healthier physically, emotionally, mentally we have that sense of belonging, it makes us as individuals and as a community feel better and it costs less. There's two sides to it, both of them are very positive."

For more information on the WACHC and their events, click here to visit their web site.

Also to mark Community Health and Wellbeing week, check out the video "Smile and Say Hello. U-Belong".