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Heart And Stroke Foundation Commercial: 'Make Health Last' Campaign Gets Us Thinking

What Will Your Last 10 Years Of Life Look Like?

What will your last 10 years of life look like? Will you be sipping on a glass of wine beside your partner, or listening to the 'beeping' sound of a heartbeat monitor next to your hospital bed? According to the folks over at the Heart And Stroke Foundation Canada, with a little help, you can avoid the latter.

In their latest video campaign, the one-minute clip gives viewers a depiction of how the last 10 years of one's life could look, and how on average, Canadians spend this final decade in ill health. The heartbreaking story features an older man, living two types of lives: One, enjoying it with his wife and family, and the second, living in a healthcare facility. As the campaign says:

"Will you be quick enough for a game of tag with your grandchild? Strong enough to embrace every moment? Will you grow old with vitality? Or get old with disease? It's time to decide."

The video itself does its job, making us wonder about the state of our own health. But it also brings an interesting perspective: How are Canadians dying?

According to 2011 Statistics Canada study, cancer is now the leading cause of death for Canadians, followed by heart disease and stroke. A previous report from the Health and Stroke Foundation also found that many Canadians didn't have time for healthy living — like exercising and eating nutritious meals.

With statistics like these, maybe it is time for us to decide — and we're sure the organization agrees. Known for its in-your-face commercials, last year the Heart and Stroke Foundation released a controversial commercial called 'Make Death Wait', targeting women and heart disease.

As Huffington Post Canada blogger Jarrah Hodge said, "My reaction was to feel unsettled. I felt the distanced visuals made the disembodied male voice sound like a stalker."

What do you think? Does this new ad do its job? Or is it going exaggerating the facts? Let us know in the comments below:

LOOK: Leading causes of death in Canada:

Cancer

Leading Causes Of Death In Canada

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