Do You Know The Lifestyle Diseases You Might Be At Risk Of?
Did you know that over 42% of employees in the Indian private sector suffer from depression or general anxiety disorder? Though performance-related stress and long work hours are the primary reasons, a modern and unhealthy lifestyle is an equal contributor here.
The age-old ways of healthy living are now considered outdated and boring because people are so busy nowadays that shortcuts and readymade things have taken over. The worst affected in this scenario are your diet and lifestyle.
This extreme change has greatly affected the health of working professionals, putting them at high risk of lifestyle disorders which are not easily curable and remain throughout your lifetime.
What WHO says about lifestyle disorders
According to the World Health Organization, non-communicable diseases including lifestyle disorders kill approximately 40 million people each year. This is equivalent to 70% of all deaths globally, and a whopping 80% of deaths in low- and middle-income countries, including India.
Out of this, almost 15 million people die between the ages of 30 and 69 years. Cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke are on top with 17.7 million deaths annually, followed by cancer (8.8 million), respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma (3.9 million), and diabetes (1.6 million).
Risk factors for lifestyle diseases
The main factors contributing to lifestyle diseases include: [show_more more=”Continue Reading ▼” less=”Show Less ▲”]
- Bad and unhealthy food habits
- A sedentary lifestyle with no (or very little) physical activity
- Overconsumption of alcohol, tobacco etc.
- Wrong body posture while working
- Disturbed biological clock due to day-night shifts
- Long work hours and strict deadlines
- Increase in stress levels
Some common lifestyle disorders
Although the list of lifestyle disorders is long and seemingly endless, here are a few diseases that are most common and can be prevented by making small lifestyle changes:
Obesity: Being obese or overweight puts a person at high risk for disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, kidney ailments, etc.
High blood pressure is often lightly taken but can cause serious health concerns. It occurs mainly due to stress, obesity, and hardening of arteries. Its management is essential to prevent other disorders from taking hold, including heart diseases.
Cardiovascular disorders such as stroke, heart attack, arteriosclerosis, etc. are major causes of death worldwide. These disorders occur mainly due to bad lifestyle habits including fatty food intake, smoking, no physical activity, etc.
Although the precise cause of cancer is still unknown; various studies have proved that following a healthy diet and lifestyle can help prevent its occurrence.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) causes shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing in the affected person. It occurs mainly due to excessive smoking, which is a lifestyle risk factor.
Healthy habits to reduce the risk of lifestyle disorders
- Follow a balanced diet that has at least 2½ cups of vegetables and fruits daily
- Eat foods made from whole grains instead of refined grains
- Reduce the intake of red meat and processed meat
- Limit sugar and salt intake
- Maintain a healthy body weight
- Engage in regular physical activity
- Limit alcohol consumption
- Quit smoking
- Restrict computer and TV time
- Follow your biological clock and do activities on time
- Keep body, mind, and soul calm and stress-free
In addition to following these healthy lifestyle tips, you should also get health check-ups regularly to know the status of different organs. Whole-body screening or health tests are the best way to get to know your body and take appropriate action. [/show_more]
