How to avoid Chronic Diseases

Many times we have challenges to understanding what is the extension of these diseases, or whether effectively could affect us, the answer is that we are stewards of our own bodies and as such we need to take the time to take care of our bodies in a comprehensive way. Definitely, as human beings, we have recognized our abilities to understand complex projects and carry out them, but sometimes we have not the willingness to try to understand what is the language of own bodies.

There are many signs of alarm that our bodies produce before failing, and could be counted as signs of a profound deterioration which have been developing for a long time. The chronic diseases contrarily to what many people think are not produced at least on all its extension for genetic factors only, they are consequence of years and years of neglect, unhealthy lifestyles, and stress, that to the moment of our analysis could represent a desperate searching of culprits to alleviate consequences, but the truth is we have all responsibility for the decisions that we take at the end.

To try to understand how we can avoid chronic diseases, we need first to assume the responsibility for our own health choices, and how do we make right choices regarding our health, the only key to answering this question is to “knowledge,” people believe in something that has proved be truth and effective.1 At this point we can say, but, many people are tired to heard the same, you should not eat fat, reduce intake of salt and drink at least eight glasses of water per day, however, they do not know what the reasons to do it or are tired of hearing it.

One strategy to understand something is explaining it and determine the advantages and disadvantages to performing or not one action, there are so much literature that describes what are the effects of smoking, alcohol intake, obesity, overweight, fat intake and sedentary life, but why some people are unaware about to take early measures to control these unhealthy habits in their lives before to develop a chronic disease?1,2-3

The answer is they have not the knowledge or at least they do not assume the responsibility for their own health yet, recognizing that we have the first step to being better and mark the difference in a great measure, it could be the key to a good strategy for avoiding chronic diseases at the end.2 At the United States, the life expectancy has increased as result of advanced technologies to offer excellent and qualified health services, but the increase of life expectancy has not reduced the incidence of chronic diseases which are affecting increasingly people, who are definitely living, but, are living with a health condition.1

The reason is that all technologies in the health care delivery system do not ensure that prevention programs be performed and the majority of diseases are most treated than prevented them. Scientific literature recommends as the first step to preventing the establishment of type 2 diabetes in some persons who have glycemic values over the normal value, take control of their sedentary habits, to lose weight and improve their food intake, over the years this strategy has proved to be effective to combat or at least to delay the appearance of type 2 diabetes because increase the need for insulin in the organism preventing the accumulation of glucose at the blood.3 However, do the patients aware that walking or jogging for at least 30 minutes four days in a week could mark the difference to use or depend on a needle to apply insulin and try to recover normal levels of glucose at the blood?2-3

For mentioning nothing of the kidney, liver and cardiovascular complications for these diseases, that seriously could be better treat it or prevent it just acquiring knowledge, improving attitudes and changing behaviors towards the adoption of healthy lifestyles, reducing the possibilities to develop a chronic disease as consequence.4 According to recommendations of American Heart Association take the decision to change our lifestyles is the first step to delay cardiovascular risks, the blood vessels and exchange of arterial gases is better after a good walk, when people develop the habit of taking time to watch what are they eating, or on which activities are they spending time, starts the process to revert or at least to stop whatever chronic condition that has been established previously.4

Screening tests are powerful tools to avoid chronic diseases as cancer of breast, colon, prostate, and cervix, through these tests the individual could determine early stages of neoplastic process and to proceed either to eliminate it or treat it, with a great advantage that is to prevent terminal stages reducing the mortality rate by chronic diseases at the end.5

The environment is a strong health determinant because the individual, communities and entire population can receive negative influence on diet and lifestyles, according to some authors people in a disadvantaged socio-economic condition is at risk to develop overweight and obesity more than people who are living in more advantaged socio-economic conditions, the reason is that healthy food choices to these people are reduced due to the characteristics of economically deprived neighborhoods.1,2-3

The convenience stores and the fast food chains are the common supermarkets of these communities and the possibility to buy vegetables, or even fruits are reduced so it increases the chronic complications of overweight and obesity representing a socio-economic burden for the families, health care system, government, and the country overall.3

In short, what do we do to prevent chronic diseases, what are the right strategies that do we need to put into practice to delay these diseases and complications, definitely take the decision to be healthy, and prevent diseases, it has evidenced that when people are aware of what is harmful and it is no convenient for them usually make all their efforts to avoid it, that means the change of mindset contributes to change attitudes improving behaviors to be better.

Avoiding chronic diseases adopting healthy lifestyles represents the most effective, economic, convenient, and sustainable strategy to prevent and delay whatever chronic process that can have started in our bodies as consequence of either unwillingness, ignorance, or reduced choices in this complex global network.

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References

1. World Health Organization. (WHO). Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/trs916/summary/en/. Published 2004. Accessed January 30, 2017.

2. NCBI. Prevention of Chronic Disease by Means of Diet and Lifestyle Changes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11795/. Published 2006. Accessed January 30, 2017.

3. World Health Organization. (WHO). Recommendations for preventing excess weight gain and obesity. http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/trs916/en/gsfao_cvds.pdf. Accessed January 30, 2017.

4. World Health Organization. (WHO). Recommendations for preventing cardiovascular diseases. http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/trs916/en/gsfao_cvds.pdf. Accessed January 30, 2017.

5. World Health Organization. (WHO). Recommendations for preventing cancerhttp://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/trs916/en/gsfao_cancer.pdf. Accessed January 30, 2017.