Health is always a big issue within all communities of color. Since many of us are either relying on advice from untrained professionals or checking Google to self-diagnose our health related problems, I decided to sit down and speak with a doctor who has the experience needed to provide guidance without making the actual trip to a doctor’s office.
Dr. Imani VanNoy, a physician of internal medicine in private practice in Marietta, Georgia, is a graduate of Harvard Medical School. She completed her Internal Medicine training at Emory University. Dr. VanNoy has been practicing medicine in Cobb County for over 25 years at Marietta Medical Group and is also on staff at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.
Here are her goals when speaking to patients and educating them about their health.
What are your goals when speaking to someone who isn’t healthy and may not know all of the medical terms and current risks?
It is my intention to provide people with some useful tips regarding their health in a format that is easy to understand. Based on the conversations with my patients, I hope to educate them on various topics regarding their health and some common diseases. I aspire to avoid using big medical terms that most people not in the medical field would understand. I simply want to share some of the same information that I have shared with my patients over the years. I hope you find it useful.
What are your thoughts on the word “lifestyle” and how it should be applied to fostering good health?
When I think of the word “lifestyle,” I think “LIVE – style.” Good health is simply a ‘LIVEstyle’; One has to LIVE healthy in order to be healthy. Good health does not come in the form of a little white pill. Taking a bunch of pills does not make you healthy. Also, please understand this: being disease free, does not make you healthy! Just because you don’t have high blood pressure, diabetes or cancer, doesn’t mean you are healthy. You are simply without a disease.
So what are some basic areas that people can focus on to promote this ‘LIVEstyle’ and attain good health?
Good health can essentially be achieved by focusing on four things I refer to as “DEW-T,” pronounced as “duty,” which stands for Diet, Exercise, Weight and Tobacco. More than 75-80 percent of the diseases I treat as an Internist, an adult primary care physician, can be treated, prevented or delayed in onset by DEW-T. I want you to understand that you should make it your duty to adhere to a healthy LIVEstyle with DEW-T.
Stay tuned to rollingout.com for more ‘Healthy Tea with Dr.V” as we explore DEW-T in more depth.
You can call (770) 977-5355 to schedule an appointment with Dr. VanNoy.
