Father’s Wisdom on Wellness ~ Ms. Sandy Wang (Chairperson of Formosa Biomedical Technology Corporation)

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Friends and colleagues often tell me that I always seem energetic, with a consistently healthy complexion and skin. They frequently ask me about my secret to maintaining such vitality. The answer lies in “LOHAS” (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability), integrating work into life and enjoying a happy and healthy lifestyle both inside and out.

From a young age, my father instilled in our family the habit of daily exercise.

I recall being woken up by my father every morning at five or six o’clock to go jogging at a nearby sports field. As children, especially in winter, waking up so early felt torturous. Despite our reluctance, my father believed that doing the right and meaningful things required building resilience through hardships. He encouraged us to accept challenges, face activities we initially disliked, and over time, we grew to enjoy, and even love, exercising.

I am profoundly grateful for having a strict father. Reflecting on those times, it wasn’t just about exercise; his influence extended to my work ethic, self-discipline, and interactions with others. My father led by example, teaching us to empathize with others and to handle our responsibilities personally rather than delegating them to others.

Thanks to my daily exercise routine, I maintain excellent physical and mental health. Achieving success in any endeavor involves hard work, but the rewards and satisfaction make it a natural and continuous effort, overcoming difficulties along the way. I always find opportunities to exercise, such as choosing to take the stairs instead of the elevator, creating habits that keep me youthful.

Our family’s wellness philosophy revolves around daily exercise, consuming natural foods with well-nutrition, and adopting a LOHAS lifestyle.

Aging is a Mindset, Not a Number

Five years ago, I saw a video of elderly people in Northern Europe who were over 70 years old, in excellent shape, and healthy, even capable of performing somersaults. This left me deeply shocked because I had never encountered seniors so agile and active. This experience completely changed my perception of aging. Therefore, the experience in Northern Europe is indeed worth our reference.

Thus, “aging” should refer to the decline in physical and mental functions, rather than simply an increase in age.

For over a decade, thanks to the founder’s foresight and wisdom, residents of the Chang Gung Health and Culture Village have enjoyed a healthy living environment. They eagerly participate in “preventive medicine lectures,” “new fitness and nutrition education lectures,” and various “community activities,” focusing on “nutritional intake” and “free mobility,” sharing their life experiences, enjoying giving and contributing, and living meaningful days. Many seniors, in their annual health checks, have no abnormal indicators: 1.) No diabetes, 2.) Normal blood lipid levels, 3.) Sufficient muscle mass. Remarkably, they have found the keys to healthy and active aging.

Currently, the average healthy age here is 86 years, and their annual medical expenses are only 10% of those of their peers. They are enthusiastic about participating in the health promotion programs designed by our health management team. In fact, with persistent effort, we too can be like the residents of Northern Europe, performing somersaults at 70.

“Age Doesn’t Equate to Being Old, We Need to Understand Ourselves Better!”

Maintaining a healthy and youthful body is not impossible. First, you need to know your suitable health prescription; second, you need to implement it; and third, you need to persist.
My philosophy is simple: understand your body and health status, and provide your body with what it truly needs!

Preventive Medicine, Starting Now!

My foundation in preventive medicine concepts comes from my father.

Around the 1980s and 1990s, Taiwan was planning the National Health Insurance. I remember the government invited Professor William Hsiao from Harvard University to Taiwan to help with research and drafting the National Health Insurance Act. At that time, my father had already founded Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. He believed that having a National Health Insurance system and even enacting it into law was indeed a benevolent policy beneficial to the public, but in the end, it might become a law that wastes resources.

He proposed an idea to the government: could we privatize health insurance? It didn’t matter whether Formosa Plastics Group or Chang Gung Memorial Hospital took charge, as long as the public paid a monthly fee, for example, 1,000 NT dollars, and the hospital in charge took care of you. If you fell ill, they would treat you; if you stayed healthy, the hospital had to implement measures to keep you healthy. The hospital in charge would be responsible for the health of all 23 million people in Taiwan, and any hospital or health examination center in Taiwan could join in providing care.

However, this proposal was not accepted by the government at the time. Yet my father’s prediction, corresponding to future changes in medical policies, has now come to fruition.

Since the official implementation of National Health Insurance in Taiwan in 1995, it has been 23 years, with the budget increasing year by year. Health insurance costs have been rising at a rate of 5 to 6% annually. In 2018, the total cost of National Health Insurance medical expenses reached 685.3 billion NT dollars, and in 2019, health insurance expenditures rose to 713.9 billion NT dollars, not including out-of-pocket expenses. By 2020, health insurance was on the verge of bankruptcy, so they had to continue raising individual health insurance fees, such as adding co-payments and supplementary health insurance fees. If we can afford it, it is fine, and we are willing to comply with government policies. But why waste medical resources like this? In the long run, it will cripple the nation’s finances, which is the last thing we want to see.

Money should be spent on maintaining health and preventing diseases, leaving medical resources for those who need them.

According to the National Health Insurance Administration, the average Taiwanese person visits the doctor 13 times a year. In 2015 alone, 47,000 people visited the doctor more than 90 times, costing the health insurance 3.9 billion NT dollars, while the average number of doctor visits in Western advanced countries is only 2 to 3 times a year. In Taiwan, people are bedridden for an average of 7.3 years, while in Northern Europe, they aim to reduce the bedridden period from disability to death to only two weeks. This is because the governments in Northern Europe spend money to encourage people to exercise and manage their health, helping the elderly to improve their fitness.

The Inspiration Behind Establishing iHealth Care Clinic

Everyone needs to consciously manage their health. This management should become a part of daily life and a habit. Only by maintaining our own health can we have the capacity to care for others and avoid becoming a burden to them.

I undergo health check-ups annually, and after each examination, I review the reports thoroughly. If my cholesterol level is high, I analyze which type of cholesterol is elevated and the potential causes. I seek advice on what actions to take, whether it involves adjusting my exercise routine or paying special attention to my daily diet, and what kinds of specific nutrients I need to supply. I hope to receive comprehensive and concrete guidance so that my next health report will show all normal values.

This aspiration led me to establish the “iHealth Care Center” and the “iHealth Care Clinic.” Through a health management service team grounded in medical expertise, research, and technology, it’s like having a trustworthy team always by your side, helping, supporting, and reminding you. By utilizing data analysis and synthesis, we assist everyone in moving from a suboptimal health state to a healthy individual. Managing and maintaining health truly requires diligent effort; if you can’t do it yourself, seek help from professionals.

New Health Big Data: Personalized Health Prescriptions

After my father grew older, I once saw him speaking on stage, struggling to stand steadily and with trembling legs. It pained me to see that. Recently, through geriatric research, we learned that this condition is due to sarcopenia—a loss of muscle mass and strength, gradually leading to pre-disability. Thus, a major goal in preventive medicine is “anti-aging,” preventing “disability” and “dementia,” allowing the elderly to age with dignity.

With advances in medical technology, it’s not difficult to understand our health status through examinations. Furthermore, with advanced testing (such as genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses in precision medicine) combined with daily lifestyle habits, comprehensive evaluations of health data can predict future disease trends and improve treatment strategies.

However, maintaining health doesn’t always require the most expensive and advanced technology. Simple assessment questionnaires, lifestyle records, common blood tests, and exercise evaluations can suffice to understand your body’s needs and provide personalized health management and promotion plans.

For instance, I used to believe that taking more vitamin E would help with antioxidant protection. However, blood measurements and dietary records revealed that my vitamin E levels were already at the upper normal limit, so additional supplementation was unnecessary. The same antioxidant benefits could be achieved through other foods without burdening my body. By eating until 70% full, prioritizing protein from meat, followed by vegetable fibers, and having a moderate amount of main dishes last, while avoiding refined carbohydrates, I ensure a balanced intake of daily nutrients in every meal. The nutritional supplements I take now are tailored by physicians and nutritionists based on my bodily functions and needs, without any specificity but precisely what I require.

Over the years, I’ve dedicated time daily to exercise, even taking running shoes when traveling abroad, never missing a workout. Recently, my health management team, established to promote preventive medicine, evaluated my exercise habits and made some changes! Besides walking briskly 5.2 kilometers daily on the treadmill to maintain stamina (cardiorespiratory endurance), I’ve also incorporated strength training and fitness prescriptions, which were lacking in my previous exercise routine and also what my father needed.

In addition to personalized exercise prescriptions to maintain my “health fitness,” I choose a suitable nutritional diet and lifestyle to practice health maintenance and prevention continuously. I never chase trendy nutritional fads or exercise methods but integrate a “system functional” health maintenance approach.

Each of us has different body types, lifestyles, and habits, so we should have health maintenance and disease prevention prescriptions tailored to us.

“The best physician cures disease before it happens,” so we should prioritize preventing diseases even further!

Promoting preventive medicine is a key international trend in the medical field. From a preventive perspective, it should ideally begin in childhood, instilling healthy habits early on.

I have twin daughters who are 22 years old and have been living independently abroad for many years. Even before they started college, they voluntarily avoided fried foods, didn’t drink soda, consumed plenty of water, exercised daily, and engaged in strength training and various fitness activities. They have a good understanding of how to maintain their health. These habits were not imposed by me. I didn’t explicitly teach them. Perhaps it was from watching me practice these habits over the years that they naturally adopted them. Seeing them take such diligent and serious care of their bodies fills me with pride.

One of my health aspirations is for everyone to develop the correct lifestyle habits from a young age, to engage in regular exercise, and to learn the simplest, most effective ways to maintain their health. Growing up healthy, they can pass these habits on to the next generation, creating a cycle of well-being. If this is achieved, Taiwanese society will become progressively healthier, reducing the reliance on medical resources and easing the financial burden on the government, thereby allowing more efficient use of social resources.

Using my personal experiences and examples, I hope to resonate with everyone and collectively promote “preventive medicine.” Starting is difficult, but it is the right thing to do, so we should not be deterred by the challenge.

Preventive medicine starts now!