Lifestyle diseases develop as a result of consistently unhealthy daily activities and lifestyles practiced. Prolonged exposure to unhealthy behaviors, including smoking, diet, and lack of physical activity, results in the development of lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and some types of cancer.
Lifestyle diseases are chronic, meaning one must deal with them for the long term, are usually not curable but can be treated to ameliorate their effects.
Based on World Health Organization (WHO) data, 61% of all deaths are attributable to chronic diseases. By 2030, the proportion of total global deaths due to chronic diseases is expected to increase to 70% of total deaths.
However, the good news is that lifestyle diseases can be treated by modifying lifestyle behavior. If you take the steps now to ensure a healthier future, you will significantly reduce the risk of lifestyle diseases. In this article, I will provide you with science-backed solutions to reduce your risk of lifestyle diseases.
First, let’s learn more about lifestyle diseases. This information will enable you to make lifestyle choices that will help you avoid the development of these chronic conditions.
Living with chronic disease not only affects your physical abilities, but all aspects of your life, including your mental and emotional health, your ability to work, and even your personal relationships. So why not take steps today to protect yourself?
Some of the leading lifestyle factors that are closely associated with higher risks of developing lifestyle diseases include lack of physical activity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy eating habits, high-stress levels, and social isolation. Long-term continuation of these unhealthy habits may lead to the development of many life-threatening illnesses like cancer, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and diabetes. The immediate need is to understand these factors so you can take steps to turn around your life and live a healthier lifestyle.
What are Lifestyle Diseases?
We will first define ‘Lifestyle Diseases’ before discussing their causes and symptoms. These diseases are the result of lifestyles that are unhealthy and stress our bodies; this stress is then manifested in a variety of illnesses. In some cases, a genetic pre-disposition enhances the chances of the development of specific illnesses including cancer and diabetes. These are non-communicable, injuring only the individual involved.
Characteristics of Lifestyle Diseases
Non-Contagious
Almost all lifestyle diseases are non-contagious, meaning they are do not transfer from one person to another. They tend to be long lasting, resulting from multiple risk factors. Based on WHO data, by 2030, the proportion of total global deaths due to chronic diseases is expected to increase to 70% of total deaths.
Long Duration
Lifestyle diseases tend to last for a long time and cannot be cured permanently. These diseases may be controlled by medication, but to date, there are no permanent cures against these conditions.
Complex Etiology
The main causes of lifestyle disorders are lifestyle habits, which often involve the interaction between several environmental, social, and genetic processes, including alcohol consumption, smoking, poor exercise habits, and unhealthy diets.
Several Risk Factors
The most important thing to know is that multiple factors can result in lifestyle diseases.
Causes of Lifestyle Diseases
Aging
There are now more people aged 65 and older than there are under age five.
As people age, they are more likely to experience lifestyle diseases, often with several conditions at the same time. As a result of the buildup of various molecular and cellular damage, at advanced ages, there is a decrease in physical capacity. Taking steps to ensure healthy aging is the best remedy against lifestyle diseases at advanced ages.
Unhealthy Diet
Chronic diseases account for 678,000 deaths each year. An unhealthy diet includes low fiber food, high saturated and trans-fat-containing food, and high sugar drinks. Additionally, less intake of water and eating too much processed food contribute to an unhealthy diet.
An unhealthy diet leads to obesity, which is further linked to many diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and different types of cancers. You can lead a healthy life only if you have a healthy diet.
Smoking
Smoking kills more people than alcohol or car accidents.
Smoking directly affects the lungs, and then the kidneys of the smoker, which can lead to various cancers and diseases of the lungs. Smoking not only affects the smoker, but second-hand smoke is harmful even to non-smokers in the same area. Smoking is more harmful when inhaling from the burning end of the cigarette than the filtered end. Smokers die ten years earlier than non-smokers. Smoking causes 1300 deaths each day.
Alcohol Consumption
It is reported that almost 95 000 people die each year due to alcoholism. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to many NCDs and cancers. To prevent severe alcohol-associated outcomes Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 states that the maximum amount of alcohol intake is 2 drinks or less for males, and 1 drink or less for females per day.
Consumption of alcohol beyond that recommended amount can lead to different temporary mood changes, insomnia, and many other sleeping disorders that directly affect the physiological and physical states of the human body.
Sedentary Lifestyle
Lack of recommended physical activity directly affects health, according to WHO.
A sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as mortality. It directly affects weight, and affects the muscle mass and strength, which contributes to cardiovascular diseases, stroke, obesity, diabetes, poor blood circulation and hormonal imbalance.
Lack of Sleep
Lack of sleep does not only affect your health but also affects your physical appearance. It may contribute to NCDs such as cancer, stroke, and obesity. Lack of sleep can also affect memory and mental capacity, and joint strength. In the extreme, sleep deprivation can also lead to hallucinations. Micro sleep, which means sleeping unconsciously for a few seconds, may also occur.
Stressful Environment
The pressures of school, family demands, job insecurity, and work deadlines are all causes of a stressful environment. It directly affects your mind, resulting in hypertension and many other diseases. It may directly or indirectly affect heart function. If you are facing any type of stress, you should visit a psychologist or go for an outing to release your stress.
Dependence on Technology
Modern life is a kaleidoscope of ever-evolving technology and social media. These technical developments have altered our lifestyles and us more dependent than ever on the ease and comfort of these advancements. As much ease as these developments have brought about in our lives, there are negative effects as well.
Certain lifestyle diseases have increased as a result of these technological and lifestyle progressions, such as obesity and metabolic syndrome. For example, where we used stairs, now we use elevators, where we used bicycles or walked, we use Uber and taxis.
How to avoid these lifestyle diseases?
Choose a Healthy Lifestyle
The easiest way to avoid these diseases is to live a healthy lifestyle rather than using the many medications. Remember the old saying: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. A healthy lifestyle includes:
– Eating nutritious food
– Getting enough exercise
– Socializing
Healthy diet: What to eat for a healthy lifestyle?
Fruits and vegetables provide fiber for digestive system well-being; they are also rich in vitamins and minerals, including folate, potassium and vitamin C. All of which are vital nutrients needed to maintain health.
Whole grains, like wheat, barley, and oats are rich in needed fibers, Vitamin B, and beneficial antioxidants and minerals. When you take a diet enriched with whole grains, they will help you avoid many health conditions like Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cancers.
Fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products are rich in nutrients and proteins like vitamin D, potassium, calcium, and many other useful minerals and vitamins. According to research, milk consumption has been linked to the reduced occurrence of obesity. Obesity is the root cause of many lifestyle diseases with drastic health effects.
A variety of protein foods such as seafood, meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), soy products, nuts, and seeds are extremely useful in fighting off lifestyle diseases. Consumption of recommended amounts is necessary to avoid many diseases like cancer, obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases with many useful minerals, vitamins, and proteins.
For proteins, it is highly recommended for everyone to take in at least 7 grams per 20 pounds of total body weight daily.
Get your copy of latest Complete Dietary Guideline.
Moderate consumption of micronutrients:
Excess or less intake of micronutrients can cause many problems. The best solution to this problem is to fix the number of your micronutrients and then take them according to it. To function optimally, your body needs about 30 micronutrients in sufficient quantities each day.
Exercise:
There is no doubt that adequate exercise has a very important role to play dealing with lifestyle diseases and health issues.
Generally, it is advised by professionals to get at least 30 minutes per day of exercise. This can be brisk walking, stair climbing, and running, if you cannot spare time for hardcore organized exercise.
The simple concept with exercise is that it induces the production of many useful hormones and burns fat which ultimately adjusts our body functions for optimal importance. Dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are released when we exercise, and play an important role in avoiding many diseases.
Norepinephrine makes us feel fresh, alive, regulates blood pumping to avoid cardiovascular diseases.
Dopamine is the body that regulates mood and maintains muscle movement. While Serotonin maintains normal and optimal sleep and digestion.
Exercise is necessary but if for some reason one cannot perform daily physical activity can try some “tricks” like using stairs instead of the elevator, keeping items needed for daily use in different rooms so you have to get up and walk around. Try to move more and sit less.
Get Enough Sleep:
Sleep is that one remedy can work wonders for our health. It has been linked to moderating many health issues like hypertension, heartburn, arthritis, diabetes that are all affected by hormone production and balance. The release of these hormones is controlled by the interaction of sleep and the body’s internal clock and intrinsic systems.
These hormones include growth hormone, melatonin, cortisol, leptin, and ghrelin levels and are also related to sleep and the body’s internal circadian clock. Sleep also affects some endogenous circadian systems in the body that directly regulate glucose and lipid metabolism. Therefore, it is clear that many lifestyle diseases are affected by our body’s sleep-wake cycle and circular rhythm. So, a good night’s sleep is optimal for the body’s proper functioning.
According to a study, it takes at least 7 to 9 hours to be well rested. Although it depends and varies from person to person there should not also be too much sleep for more than 9 hours. Sleeping more than needed can make you feel more stagnant and sluggish.
Avoid Drinking Too Much Alcohol:
Excessive alcohol consumption is bad in any scenario. Alcohol increases blood pressure, increase risk of having a heart attack and weakens the heart muscle. It harms the liver, as it has to continuously detoxify your body from alcohol. Alcohol also affects different pathways in the brain like dopaminergic, serotonergic, y-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutamate pathways.
Avoid Smoking:
Smoking is the silent killer. Smoking is a major cause of lifestyle diseases because it affects physical endurance. When you inhale nicotine and chemical enriched smoke, it reduces the overall oxygen you get in your lungs, muscles, and heart. This reduces the overall activity and can weaken lungs and heart muscles, and optimal performance of your body. Smoking can also weaken bones and led to osteoporosis and other bone-related diseases.
Control Weight:
Obesity is the origin of many lifestyle diseases. If you do not get enough exercise and accumulate too much fat, your normal body functions are affected. Obesity can hasten and worsen diabetes especially Type 2. Obesity is part of the Metabolic Syndrome, a systemic disease with so many harmful effects on health.
According to experts, a normal BMI (body mass index) should be maintained to live a healthy life and avoid these unwanted conditions. BMI can simply be defined as the ratio of total fat in the body. It pertains to all adults, male and females. Body Mass Index is calculated considering a person’s weight and height. It is determined by dividing a person’s weight with height and the units are Kg/m2. In this formula, kg would be the weight and m2 is the height of a person in meters squared. A healthy BMI is between 18.5 to 24.9 and if it is above 25.0, it is unhealthy. Therefore, it is optimal that a person consumes a balanced diet and their weight between the safe limits of BMI.
Invest in Early Diagnosis and Cure:
Early diagnosis will not only save lives but will also be economical. Once you feel tired, feel that you are not in good health, or suspect a disease, you must consult a doctor as soon as possible. It will prevent your health from getting worse, and you may minimize treatment costs.
What MolVeda Recommends:
The modern-day lifestyle has a lot of advantages, such as easing people’s lives, saving everyone’s time and energy, providing top-notch hospital services, beautiful modern homes to live in, flying to distant countries in a matter of seconds, and groundbreaking mechanical and medical advancements; but on the other hand, it has several detrimental consequences in everyone’s daily lives, particularly adults.
Lifestyle diseases are not contagious and can be caused by various factors such as heredity, behavior, and the environment, among others. Factors such as tobacco use, alcohol usage, and an unhealthy lifestyle can contribute to lifestyle problems.
According to reports, chronic diseases impact 75 to 80 percent of the population. You may be presently living a good life thanks to your medication, but many diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, cardio metabolic diseases, and cancer rates are expected to increase throughout the year. By following the above-discussed advice, you can get your life back on track and also guide your loved ones about how some of the most common and simple steps can protect them from these dangerous and life-endangering diseases.
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