Prepare for a pandemic by making healthy living a part of our society's DNA.

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• pandemics healthier
• diseases preventing
• affecting health
• lifestyle prevent
• future pandemics

Without a doubt, the coronavirus has had a huge impact on our lives in the last two years. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic is a perfect example of the importance of prevention and a healthy lifestyle...

There is not enough attention to lifestyle.

It is a waste of resources that our current health system invests more in treating diseases than in preventing them. The promotion of a healthy lifestyle could have been much more central in the policy of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences. Was it really sensible to limit sporting opportunities so much? In their measures to fight the spread of the virus, decision-makers focused primarily on the effects on hospitals, but should also have taken into account the (negative) effects that the measures had on lifestyle.

For a more balanced approach, the government could have done more to emphasize the importance of a healthy lifestyle, encouraging people to get enough exercise, for example. Especially since obesity is a growing problem: up to half of the Dutch population is overweight. And being overweight, and certainly being obese, puts you at a disadvantage when it comes to infections, with a higher risk of serious sequelae. The more overweight a person is, the greater the risk of a more severe disease course if that person is infected with COVID-19. This is because the person's immune system may be chronically overactive and therefore may no longer respond effectively to a virus such as COVID-19. However, the immune system can be positively influenced by lifestyle factors. Therefore, investing in a healthy lifestyle can be of great value during a pandemic like this one and in relation to possible future viruses.

Support in case of stress, anxiety or worry

In addition to physical health, mental health also has an important role to play in making people resilient. Many people experienced stress, anxiety or worry during the Covid-19 crisis. They were worried about their jobs or health, experienced loneliness during lockdowns, and/or had questions about vaccinations. An undesirable effect, for example, was that some people did not get vaccinated because they were afraid of the side effects they might experience. Because although the vaccines against Covid-19 are very effective, it is undeniable that they have side effects. Although these are usually mild and pass quickly (headache, fatigue or arm pain, for example), for many people they are still a reason to avoid vaccination. It is important to know that some of these adverse events are not even caused by the vaccine itself. An international study shows that the nocebo effect, the negative counterpart of the placebo effect, plays an important role. The adverse reaction may also occur only due to the expectation that a vaccination may result in such an adverse reaction.

focus on the positive

Focusing solely on the Covid-19 crisis and all its negative consequences can be extremely counterproductive. Prolonged focus on negative consequences affects not only our mental state, but also our physical responses, ultimately affecting health and disease. Conversely, positive expectations can lead to positive outcomes. What can we focus on to get out of this or future pandemics healthier? Any crisis also leaves room to focus on what is really important in life, on what we ourselves can do to stay as healthy as possible, on enjoying the little things in life, and on working on connection and collaboration. A necessary step to counteract the "Covid-19 nocebo effect".

Investing more in a healthy lifestyle can prevent many negative consequences for physical and mental health. By making lifestyle part of the DNA of our society, we will be more resilient to potential future pandemics or large-scale health challenges.