Listen to “Lifestyle Changes for Disease Prevention”.
Unprecedented improvements in overall population health have been recorded in OECD countries over the past century. Life expectancy has, on average, increased by 25-30 years. Major infectious diseases have been eradicated, and infant mortality rates have been dramatically reduced. However, industrialization and prosperity have been accompanied by increases in many chronic diseases.
Lifestyle choices are closely associated with a significant proportion of morbidity and mortality rates generated by chronic diseases. Studies conducted during the 1970s and 80s in Alameda, California, showed that healthy habits surrounding diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and sleeping patterns could reduce mortality rates by 72% in men and 57% in women, relative to those with unhealthy habits.
A recent study in England produced similar findings, suggesting that combining healthy habits in all areas of life has the strongest impact on mortality. People who lead a physically active life, do not smoke, drink alcohol in moderate quantities, and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables are more than 75% less likely to die of chronic illness than those with unhealthy habits.
Lifestyle diseases include atherosclerosis, heart disease, and strokes; obesity and type 2 diabetes; and diseases associated with smoking, alcohol and drug abuse.
4 Healthy lifestyle factors help ward off chronic disease.
- Diet
It’s undeniable that a well-balanced diet goes hand-in-hand with a healthy lifestyle. What you choose to eat, and what you choose not to eat, are factors in warding off many leading chronic illnesses and diseases. Focusing a diet on whole grains, fruits, veggies, and proteins, as well as limiting sodium and foods that are high in calories are great rules to stick to. You should also aim to cut out sugary soft drinks and fast food completely.
2. Exercise
Physical inactivity is one of the primary causes of most chronic diseases. Regular physical activity helps prevent obesity, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, colon cancer, and premature mortality.
Healthy adults aged between 18 and 65 should aim to do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, for example, 30 minutes of brisk walking, five days a week. People who undertake more vigorous-intensity exercise, such as jogging, should aim for 20 minutes, three days a week.
3. Keep your BMI low
BMI is a useful measure for making sure you are not overweight or obese. It is calculated from your height and weight. BMI is an estimate of body fat and a good gauge of your risk of diseases that can occur with higher levels of body fat. The higher your BMI, the higher your risk for certain diseases. You can check your BMI in DeepH app.
4. Quit SmokingSmoking cigarettes harms nearly every organ of the body while quitting smoking cuts cardiovascular risks. Just 1 year after quitting smoking, your risk for a heart attack drops sharply. Within 2 to 5 years after quitting smoking, your risk of stroke can be reduced to that of a nonsmoker’s.
