Unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco and alcohol use, chronic stress and a disrupted biological clock as key lifestyle risk factors for NCDs.
In this article, I am gathering all the major Lifestyle Risk Factors that, research has shown, play a key role in the development of Lifestyle Diseases or chronic, Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Lifestyle factors are the adaptable behaviours and ways of life that influence an individual's health and wellbeing. They depend 100% upon our own decisions and that is why it is in our own hands to change them.
Lifestyle factors that, studies show, contribute to the development of Lifestyle Diseases/NCDs are:
Unhealthy Diet Physical Inactivity Tobacco Use Alcohol Use Chronic Stress Disturbed Biological Clock
In general, I would say that in these cases people have grown apart from the natural way of living as human beings on earth.
These lifestyle factors, usually combined two or more together, in time lead to four key metabolic/physiological changes , which can act as primary symptoms/conditions:
raised blood pressure overweight/obesity raised blood glucose raised cholesterol And can result in the development of one or more Lifestyle Diseases/NCDs in time.
Now, let’s get to know these Lifestyle Factors one by one, so that we can get a better understanding of what they actually mean.
Unhealthy Diet Typically, a diet is considered as unhealthy when:
There is high consumption of: 1. Processed foods (from processed meats, to processed sugary desserts and beverages)
2. Refined sugars and starches
3. Saturated fats and trans fats
4. Red meat
5. Dairy
6. Salt/Sodium
There is low consumption of: 1. Fruits
2. Vegetables
3. Nuts & seeds
4. Fibre
5. Essential micronutrients
In today’s societies, studies have observed that, on one hand, there is malnutrition amongst the population and, on the other hand, there is overconsumption of food.
What does this mean exactly?
It means that people may have increased the amount of food they eat daily, but the foods they pick to eat are missing the right nutrients that the human body needs in order to function properly, be healthy and prevent the development of disease.
This way, unhealthy diets are contributing to unhealthy weight gain and diet-related poor health!
Physical Inactivity Physical inactivity is the term used to refer to inability to achieve the recommended levels of physical activity for health, which is a minimum of 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity physical activity on most days throughout a person's life.
Physical inactivity is now described as a pandemic that needs urgent action.
Higher rates of inactivity are partly due to leisure time spent sitting - watching television, playing video games, and using the computer. Physical activity associated with work, tasks at home, and transportation has also declined due to economic growth, technological advancements, and social changes.
Physical inactivity is a key risk factor for noncommunicable diseases, and the fourth leading cause of early death globally.
Tobacco Use Tobacco kills more than any other preventable cause of death in the world.
Tobacco is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, cancers, and diabetes. Most of the tobacco-related deaths and years lost to disability are due to these noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
Tobacco can also be deadly for non-smokers. Second-hand smoke exposure (aka passive smoking) has also been implicated in adverse health outcomes, causing 1.2 million deaths annually worldwide.
There is no safe tobacco product, nor is there a safe level of consumption.
Tobacco smoke contains up to 5000 chemicals, of which 70 are known to be carcinogenic .
Alcohol Use Alcohol use is one of the leading risk factors for death and disability around the world.
Ranging from cancer to depression, alcohol contributes to a wide list of noncommunicable diseases and other health conditions, including injuries from road accidents, self-harm, and interpersonal violence.
Alcohol is a toxic , psychoactive , and dependence-producing substance and has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer decades ago.
When it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health.
The cultural and social embeddedness of alcohol is underpinned by the belief that it is possible to "drink responsibly". Some studies have gone so far as to suggest that moderate consumption could be good for health. In recent years, however, there has been a change of paradigm. Despite attempts by the industry to generate noise through sponsored research, it is now widely accepted that there is no safe level of alcohol .
The World Health Organization has recently shared a statement about alcohol use asserting that the risks to health start "from the first drop" .
Chronic Stress Stress is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. Everyone experiences stress to some degree.
The way we respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to our overall well-being.
The actual or perceived threat to any organism is referred to as the “stressor” and the response to it is called the “stress response.” Although stress responses progressed as adaptive processes, researchers observed that severe, prolonged responses might lead to adverse effects in the form of diseases .
Relationships between psychosocial stressors and disease have been extensively reported in several studies.
Chronic Stress has been linked to:
modifications of neuronal networks in the brain which can potentially cause cognitive, emotional and behavioral dysfunctions and that may increase vulnerability to psychiatric disorders.Overstimulation of the neuroimmune axis , causing neuroendocrine/immune imbalances that establish a state of chronic low-grade inflammation , a possible prelude to various illnesses, like cardiovascular disease, chronic gastrointestinal diseases (ulcer, colitis), asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, migraines and diabetes.
Disruption of the Circadian Rhythm A circadian rhythm is an oscillating biological rhythm that resets approximately every 24 hours (hence the Latin term “circa” (around), “diem” (day)). This 24-hour system exists in many forms of life on earth and is conserved throughout evolution.
In humans, circadian rhythms pace the body functions with the level of diurnal and nocturnal activity, by regulating:
Hormonal production and release Core body temperature Cell metabolism Cell growth and division.
Circadian rhythm disruption occurs when internal oscillations are misaligned with the external environment.
The external factors, research shows, can interrupt with the natural circadian rhythm are:
Night shift work Seasonal and Latitudinal Variations of Day Length (f.x. jet lag) Artificial Light Low Frequency Electromagnetic (EM) Waves Stressors Dietary Factors (f.x. high-fat diets) Caffeine
This was a first brief analysis of the key Lifestyle Factors that can effect our health and contribute to the development of Lifestyle Disease/NCDs.
Learn more about the way I can help you work on balancing your Health through my service : Health Coaching & Lifestyle Adjustments .
You can contact me at katerina@theselfcarebadass.com for any questions you might have.
On the upcoming articles I am going to share with you further information about each one of them, as well as the most effective Lifestyle Adjustments that we can integrate into our lives for better health, longevity and disease prevention.
For those who have missed my first article on Lifestyle Diseases, what they are and which are included, you can read my previous blog here .
Resources:
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