Michael Strahan Talks to His Dad About Heart Health
For National Heart Month, Strahan shared a conversation with his dad, Gene.
— -- It’s National Heart Month, and “Good Morning America’s” Michael Strahan sat down for a heart-to-heart conversation with his father, Gene Strahan, about improving his heart health.
In the video chat, Strahan said he decided to talk about his dad’s heart condition to help ensure his dad is “around as long as possible.”
“Sometimes the hardest thing to do is talk to your dad or your hero. Because you admire them,” Strahan said in the new video recorded for Meta, a wellness line, for which Strahan is a spokesperson. “Who doesn't want their father or the person who is most influential in their life to be around as long as possible?”
Have a conversation with parents or loved ones about their health can often be overlooked, according to ABC News Chief Medical Editor, Dr. Richard Besser.
"Looking to your parent, who’s always told you what to do for your health, and then saying, ‘I kind of need to suggest something to them,’ you have to be really sensitive about how you do it," Besser said today on "GMA."
Besser advises including siblings in the conversation and handling the topic of your parents' health with sensitivity and respect.
"First, it’s not one conversation, it’s a series of conversations, so you want to talk early, talk often, and progress with that," Besser said. "If you start the conversation and it’s not going well, you can punt and come back to it and realize there are other opportunities."
Besser said it's also important to remember that health changes made at any point in life can make a difference.
"As you get older you want to make sure that you’re checking your blood pressure and cholesterol more but, more than tests, you want to try and make sure your parents are staying on track with a heart-healthy diet and regular exercise and stopping smoking," Besser said. "You can be in your 70s and 80s and make changes that are going to affect your life."
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