The good news is 40 per cent of cancers and 80 per cent of heart disease, diabetes and respiratory diseases are preventable by eliminating four common risk factors: poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, smoking and overuse of alcohol.

The key to preventing these diseases and preserving your health once you have them is self-management. Increasingly, B.C. is putting self-management at the forefront of patient-centred care. Self Management BC, a free province-wide program, has trained more than 35,000 BC residents in self-management techniques since 2000.

In this Healthier You Magazine article, Take Charge of Your Own Health, I look at the power of self-management for health — and share some amazing patient stories of transformation and recovery.