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The Genesee County Health Department has
added a link on its website, www.gchd.us, to a
disease risk calculator created and hosted by the Harvard Center for Cancer
Prevention. It provides customized
information to help users better understand their personal health and risk for
disease. It also provides a tailored
action plan to lower an individual’s risk for health problems.
The disease calculator allows users to determine their risk for
developing 12 different kinds of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and
osteoporosis. The site goes beyond
the standard questions about age, cholesterol, and family history and explores
the variety of lifestyle choices, environmental issues, and other factors that
influence health risk. The questions
are based on risk factors that have been established through credible scientific
studies.
After answering the questions asked by the disease calculator, a color
coded graphic is displayed that shows how one’s risk compares to the rest of
the population. It also provides a
customized action plan describing how to alter risks through lifestyle changes,
such as exercising more, eating more vegetables, and stopping smoking.
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