Lifestyle Diseases

Since the dawn of civilization, man’s physical attributes have always been in accordance with the work he was supposed to do. It has been proven that we were ape like before and had lots of body hair, which was then to protect us from cold. Eventually as time passed our physicality changed a lot, and we started to walk erect, but still we were built in such a way that we were fit for hunting and to endure other physical conditions. As centuries began to unfold, we started developing at a brisk pace and we have reached a stage of today, where we can get food by paying money for which we have to work, and that too doesn’t have to be necessarily a strenuous labor job. This change in lifestyle has brought about a lot of positivism and negativity in our lives.

Today we don’t have to strive for food nor fight wild animals, but today we have to work long hours, which how much ever tiring maybe aren’t strenuous to what we had to do earlier. This exact change has brought in the ‘lifestyle diseases’, which are responsible for maximum deaths in countries which are either developed or are in the brink of becoming developed. Today we have development in the field of medicine and the diseases of yester years are either extinct or they don’t possess a threat much. Since we don’t have much threat from infectious diseases as much as we had before, the life style diseases which mainly comprise of the following, affect us the most:

These diseases have been associated with the new way of life and come into the generic term of lifestyle diseases. Compared to the olden times, today obesity is a major problem which can be assessed by the following:

‘By 2001, almost 21 percent of adults were obese, representing a nearly 75 percent increase. Because these data are based on self-reported height and weight, obesity rates are most likely even higher than these estimates suggest. Results from the 1999 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which collects data through clinical measurements, found that approximately 30 percent of U.S. adults are obese and an additional 34 percent are overweight and Even more alarming is the increase of those who are morbidly obese; that is, those who are 100 pounds or more overweight’ (Eileen Salinsky).

Obesity has been the root of many problems. Today children are always eating processed junk food and cola rather than salads and vegetables and milk. The pizzas and burgers how much ever scrumptious it is, cannot be considered as a main food and due to this reason not children but adults too tend to bloat up. An obese person is always at risk for heart diseases, diabetes and liver diseases. Being obese makes a person more inactive, this leads to other problems of muscles and joints. For obesity it is said that the more you eat the more you are eaten from inside. Today diseases like cancer have been one of the prime forces in eliminating mankind. There have been lots of deaths and amputations that have been accounted to cancer.

This diseases which was not much active in the olden times, is today’s prime diseases. Cancer has various forms, and if not it could have been prevented from maintaining a good staple diet. One thing that can be attributed from a lifestyle point of view is that in the west and developed countries, there has been a serious loss of staple food and required vegetables in the diet and there has been a major increase of meat and wine. Because of the use more technology cell phones have become a common thing amongst people, including teenagers, but one thing they do not know is using a cell phone over an hour increase the chances of having brain tumor as it emits high amount of radiation. Many people have contracted these tumors, but have failed to realize this that it was due to their lifestyle.

Heart Attacks and diabetes which also are lifestyle diseases are the worst in the group as they have killed more people than even one can imagine. The following will cement the fact about arteriosclerosis and diabetes: The WHO estimates that atherosclerosis (heart attacks and strokes) and diabetes (90% of the Type 2 variety) kill about 20 million people every year, more than are killed by war, famine, AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined, and more than might conceivably be killed in a single pandemic of bird flu. Bill Gates gives billions to trying to eliminate infectious disease but never mentions the really big killer, cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the form of atherosclerosis and hypertension or high blood pressure’ (Pandemic Lifestyle diseases 2007).

Life style diseases can be treated too, but it takes it toll on the individual, and for instances of heart and all major by pass operations have to performed, or for cancer chemotherapy or amputation of the part is required.

The best way is prevention of these diseases by changing our lifestyles. If we endorse certain amount of exercise and right amount of nutritious food then the chances of contracting these diseases go down by huge percentages. Fore mostly, it is very essential to keep a check on junk food and easy to make fried food. Apart from increasing cholesterol and obesity, these foods don’t help much. There has to be a steady intake of staple food with maintaining an equal balance of vegetables and meat. One has to make sure to complete a certain amount of exercise, be it a small run or doing exercises in the gym. This physical exercise will help increase the much needed blood circulation and in turn help people to live healthy.

The high amount of work loads only worsens the living environment, as tensions give rise to many diseases. Those working always on tight deadlines suffer the most from it. The only way to counter it is to take time out to relax and practice mind reliving techniques which can be attained via yoga or reiki. The lesser the tension the more an individual can live longer and enjoy life.  Alcohol and smoking, which are considered to be very normal in today’s times, are one of the worst ways of affecting our body.

Smoking contracts blood cells and can give lung cancer, along with dampening one’s stamina and appetite. Alcohol on the other hand makes one obese, addicted and also causes serious troubles in the liver and kidney region. If one can refrain from smoking and have very limited quantity of alcohol, then he reduces huge chances of getting diseases. The best part of lifestyle disease is it can be easily prevented with certain precautions. Everybody have to die in this world, but the choice of dying young due to lifestyle diseases or dying when you are old is a choice one has to make.

Works Cited:

1)   Eileen Salinsky, Principal Research Associate Wakina Scott, Research Associate “: A Growing Threat”, 11th July 2003, http://www.nhpf.org/pdfs_bp/BP_Obesity_7-03.pdf

2)  “Pandemic of Lifestyle Diseases”, 14th October 2007, http://www.panaceia-or-hygeia.com/

3)   http://naturalhealthperspective.com/home/civilization.html

4)  http://www.obesityinamerica.org/geographic.html