Modern lifestyles, characterised by poor dietary habits, sedentary behaviour, and high-stress levels, have led to a surge in lifestyle-related diseases. These conditions, often preventable, significantly impact overall health and well-being. Ahead of World Health Day (April 7), here are few diseases that needs attention.
Type 2 Diabetes mellitus
Mostly related to underlying hereditary predisposition, recent emergence of diabetes and insulin resistance in young adults can be directly correlated to unhealthy lifestyles and eating habits.
Preventive measures:
Regular exercise habits have shown a reduction in the need for medications, especially in younger patients with diabetes.
Exercises should be personalised to each individual as per their daily routine but emphasising the importance of consistent and continuing exercise routine (once in 2 days) of walking or jogging.
A diet that includes decreased intake of calorie-rich, processed foods. It is more important to maintain calorie deficit than cutting down carbohydrates completely.
Heart diseases/strokes
We are witnessing a recent and alarming rise in young adults (20-30 years) presenting to hospitals with acute coronary syndromes (heart attacks) and stroke. Significant percentage of these cases, without underlying comorbidities, could be related to lifestyle changes. These include:
Poor and unhealthy eating habits
Sedentary lifestyles
Stress/anxiety disorders
Preventive measures:
Good eating habits like balanced meal that contains proteins, vegetables and fruits and restricting late night meals, decreasing processed fast food consumption.
Obesity
A growing concern in India, recent studies indicate a significant increase in obesity in childhood and adult populations, both in rural and urban regions. A sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, and economic and societal changes are the main causes that lead directly or indirectly to obesity.
Once a nation where malnutrition was the leading cause of childhood diseases, India has seen a significant increase in the percentage of obesity in children under five years of age, even though the percentage of the Indian population who cannot afford a healthy diet, who are falling short of daily nutrient-requirements are on the rise.
Health implications:
Obesity increases the risk of early onset of diabetes, heart diseases, cancers (eg: colon), psychiatric illnesses (eg: depression)
Mental health challenges
There is a shift in perspectives on mental illness, but lifestyle changes can cause mental disorders. The incidence of young children and young adults having serious psychiatric issues has been steadily rising, as our economic and societal norms have changed. Depression, anxiety and eating disorders, and addictions (eg: social media consumption) are a few of the rising problems of our young and adult population.
Preventive measures and early intervention:
Exercise is always a mainstay of treating a stressed mind and body.
Recognising the problems faced by young children by parents and teachers and addressing them in simple terms and methods is important.
Adult interventions and holistic approaches:
Acceptance, self-realisation, compartmentalisation, and slow withdrawal of all addictive behaviours in adults.
Psychiatric counseling should be viewed as preventive healthcare of than as a treatment.
Sleep disorders
Lack of proper sleep and irregular sleep cycles in younger individuals, apart from causing increased stress and poor mental and physical health, are contributing to early onset diabetes, hypertension, cardiac illnesses in younger population.
Changes to be made:
Promoting healthy lifestyles including healthy eating habits and physical activity both at household and community level.
Public awareness campaigns and school programmes advocating and focussing on adapting to a healthy lifestyle from an early age in children.
Policy changes that address proper labelling of ingredients and health benefits of foods that are advertised to children on a larger scale and propose stricter norms.
Access to healthy foods to be made easier for all children.
The writer of this article Dr Rajesh Kumar is a consultant general physician, Prashanth Hospitals, Chennai