LIFESTYLE DISEASES

Lifestyle diseases are those health complications that appear to increase in frequency as countries become more industrialized. Lifestyle diseases are commonly encountered in developed countries where people live longer. These diseases do not develop suddenly. Once encountered, these complications cannot be cured easily. In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that 49 per cent of all deaths have been attributed by Lifestyle diseases. Chronic disease-related deaths will increase by 17 percent over the next 20 years.

Lifestyle diseases (also sometimes called diseases of longevity or diseases of civilization interchangeably) are diseases that appear to increase in frequency as countries become more industrialized and people live longer. They can include some kinds of cancer, chronic liver disease or cirrhosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Type 2 diabetes, heart, disease, stroke, depression and obesity.

What are Lifestyle Diseases?

Lifestyle diseases are diseases that are a result of the way we lead our lives on a daily basis. More work and no play, makes a lot of us prone to a host of diseases, physical ailments, and emotional problems. These are the diseases that develop as a result of

• – The type of work we do
• – Environmental factors that affect our living conditions
• – Work environments
• – The food we eat
• – Our exercise habits
• – Stress

Types of Lifestyle Diseases

Lifestyle diseases account for a majority of the diseases that are common around the world today. Below is a list of some of the common lifestyle diseases.

•  – Obesity
• – Diabetes
• – Heart disease
• – Stroke
• – Hypertension
• – Liver cirrhosis
• – Cancer
• – Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Causes

Since lifestyle diseases are diseases that are a result of the lifestyle choices that we make, contributing factors are closely related.

• – Bad diet options
• – Lack of adequate exercise
• – Poor posture
• – Disruption in biological clock
• – Poor lifestyle choices
• – Environmental conditions – occupational lifestyle di

Preventing

The good thing about lifestyle diseases is that if we do something about them, it is possible to reverse the condition. Listed below are some things that you can do to prevent lifestyle diseases.

• – Eat a healthy diet
• – Engage in moderate exercise (30 minutes every day)
• – Sit and stand in the right postures
• – Avoid foods that are high in fats, salt, sugar and refined products.

While our lifestyles have become more convenient, there certainly is nothing classy about lifestyle diseases. We pay a high price for our press-of-a-button lifestyles. Eventually, we may need to take a step back and relearn how to lead physically active lives, and, in turn, disease-free lives.