Lifestyle Ailments
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CHRONIC AILMENTS AND LIFESTYLE HABITS
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Chronic Ailments and Lifestyle Habits
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CHRONIC AILMENTS AND LIFESTYLE HABITS
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Chronic Ailments’ and Lifestyle Habits
Introduction
The globe is continually and gradually undergoing variant transitions in the technology
world which have often come in handy with changes in behavior and lifestyle. There increasingly
has been a need to work more to meet the ever-bulging needs. As a result, there arises lots of
conflict in priority matters. Physical activities have seldom been prioritized. The consumption of
homemade foods that are nutrient-dense is also not a matter of priority. This negligence has
exacerbated the prevalence and risk of chronic ailments instigated by leading unhealthy
lifestyles.
Personal Lifestyle Choices that Increase the Risk of Chronic Conditions
‘In the Western world, chronic ailments such as diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases have
been intuited to be the leading cause of death across all age groups. An in-depth examination of
chronic ailments posits a potential connection to environmental factors. It is wise that humans
become cognizant of the prevalent lifestyle risk factors that could come into play in their
development. Three personal behaviors exacerbate the likelihood of contracting lifestyle
diseases, these are poor nutrition, drug abuse such as the misuse of alcohol and tobacco, and lack
of or inadequate physical activities.
Increased Risk of Diabetes (Type 2) as a Result of the Modifiable Risk Factors
Globally, the type of diabetes which often goes in handy with adiposity is mainly
instigated by poor diet quality and the consumption of calories disproportionately. For instance,
whereas there exists a very strong correlation between trans fats and high glycemic load to
increased diabetes risk, the consumption of high amounts of fiber-dense foods such as vegetables
CHRONIC AILMENTS AND LIFESTYLE HABITS
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and fruits declines the risk and disposition of diabetes. A meta-analysis conducted in this regard
intuited that two whole-grain servings in a day are associated with a twenty-one percent lower
diabetes risk (Bellou, 2018). Dietary patterns observed amongst individuals residing in urban sets
up depict an inadequate vegetable and fruit consumption correlation to increased risk of diabetes.
The consumption of foods with high glycemic load and index has posed an enormous threat to
the health and wellness of a huge chunk of the populace. These are often found in wheat foods
such as bread, burgers, or even in polished rice. The consumption of unhealthy fats in trans fats
is a thorn in the flesh and poses an enormous threat to the well-being of an individual.
In the past decade, multinational food chains have increasingly globalized. This
exacerbated multiplication has seen increased consumption of fast foods even in regions or
nations that initially were predominant consumers of a high-fiber diet. They have transitioned to
energy-dense foods which spike hunger pangs in a very short while leading to uncontrolled
insulin spikes over time. In South Africa for instance, a nation that had zero fast food outlets now
has over a thousand Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets. Similarly, there are an estimated nine-
hundred thousand Coca-Cola retail outlets, with estimated servings of seventy-eight million on a
daily basis. It is evidenced that, independent of the Basal Metabolic Index (BMI), increased
consumption of sweetened beverages exacerbates the risk of type two diabetes (Bellou, 2018).
Consuming one to two sugar-sweetened beverages servings in a day predisposes one to an
estimated twenty-six percent greater diabetes risk. Studies also suggest that a one percent spike
in sugar-sweetened beverages contributes to around five percent body weight increment. This
may in turn lead to obesity and the likelihood of becoming diabetic increases.
Most individuals
meagerly consume fiber-dense foods such as vegetables and fruits given their seasonal nature in
some nations and the fact that most of them in the Western world are genetically modified
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making them less nutritious. The non-inclusion of these foods in the daily meal routine is
hazardous to one’s health.
Poor dietary habits have a crossover on other chronic ailments beyond diabetes. It is
highly likely that poor nutrition may not only spike insulin levels in the body but also transcend
into obesity. This implies that poor diet predisposes one to two chronic risk factors which has
adverse ripple effects on one’s health.
Hereditary Linkage that Increases Individual Risk of Diabetes
One’s family history of type two diabetes is intuited as a vital risk factor for the ailment.
Research suggests that an individual who has a diabetes family history has two to six times the
likelihood of getting type two diabetes compared to an individual whose family has no history of
the disease (Cole, 2020). Type 2 diabetes is an extremely complex etiology. One’s family history
avails valuable and profound genomic information since it denotes the combination of genetic
susceptibilities that are inherited as well as shared behavioral and environmental factors. While
conducting a comprehensive risk assessment, family history can be of profound essentiality. It
can play an integral role in the early detection, prevention, and treatment of the disease.
In my case, my family lineage has had the lack of not having any chronic ailments
history. As such, my predisposition to diabetes or any other crossover ailments that have a
hereditary linkage is meagerly a likelihood. Worth noting, however, it is evident that heredity is
not the only or major cause of diabetes, instead other lifestyle factors such as poor diet and eating
habits and inadequate physical activity may trigger the disease and exacerbate adverse health
effects (Cole, 2020). Taking note of these facts is a consideration worth recognizing to avert any
incidence of diabetes or any other lifestyle-related chronic ailment.
CHRONIC AILMENTS AND LIFESTYLE HABITS
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Planning and Prevention
Given that my family health history meagerly predisposes me to an increased risk of
becoming diabetic, I believe that based on my current lifestyle I need to expedite much more
caution to avert any likelihood of becoming diabetic or obese which is closely associated with
diabetic individuals. I have for the longest time absconded and written off awareness programs
that often emphasize the essentiality of maintaining a healthy diet and some of the foods that one
should consume to avoid the risk of becoming obese or diabetic. For quite some time now, I have
become a huge fanatic of fast food outlets such as Burger King which I have been majorly
relying on for my daily meals. This overreliance contravenes healthy lifestyle advocates
including medics who have questioned the components of fast foods. Research connotes that
these outlets seldom sell nutrient-dense foods, instead large of their sale is energy dense which
has adverse effects on insulin balance (Jannasch, F, 2017). The spike in insulin imbalance has
been attributed to exposure to diabetes risk. I find it worth that reducing the intake of these meals
will reduce my risk predisposition to obesity or diabetes.
Based on past research that identifies and posits the vitality of some attributes or factors
that may foster risk reduction of diabetes and obesity, I find it fit to develop a plan that will act as
my health safety net. Scientists opine that one’s health status is initiated by the meals one
consumes (Bellou, 2018). As such, I’ll certainly reduce and gradually halt consuming fast meals
whose adverse effects surpass the short-lived energy and enthusiasm they generate. I’ll consider
purchasing nutrient-dense meals such as meat, proteins, cassava, millet, sorghum, Irish potatoes,
sweet potatoes, and the like which are complex carbohydrates that have longer digestion periods.
Such meals will sporadically lower the number of meals I consume in a day since I will feel
hungry after a long while. Also, I’ll seek to incorporate at least an hour and a half for a workout
CHRONIC AILMENTS AND LIFESTYLE HABITS
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session. Physical activity is connoted to have profound efficacies on fat loss and maintenance of
a fit physique that is free of chronic ailments (Sigel, 2018). I’ll subscribe to a gym and have a
personal trainer who will at least be monitoring my habits and consistency and to some extent
avert the likelihood of me falling out from the sessions which would revert me back to my
previous poor physical activity habits. Given the increased awareness of gym trainers on
appropriate or recommended diet, I’ll request a meal plan developed from a point of information
and not assumptions or guesswork. In my schedule, I’ll also be conducting constant medical
check-ups to measure my BMI and other checks that depict a clear picture of my health status.
Habit Loop for Behavior Engagement
As is the case with any other human commitment, it is highly likely that interruptions on
the schedule I’ve committed to and devoted my synergies occur. For instance, given my
managerial role at work, I might be shifted to a different locality to improve performance or
based on the random shifts undertaken to bolster the diversity of our organization. In this case, I
will take time to accustom myself to the new environment and look for a gym facility that will
conveniently serve. This also has a ripple effect on my trainer and training habits since I’ll have
to source a different one who is likely to slightly differ from the first one. These changes may
trigger resistance from within since humans are intrinsically change-resistant. So as to overcome
these minor setbacks, I’ll begin training like twice a week and for fewer minutes. This will make
my body get accustomed to the new working environment and appreciate the diverse stature of
the environment and human existence. These techniques will play a pivotal role in advancing my
pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and entirely eradicating predisposition to the risk of chronic
ailments such as diabetes and obesity.
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References
Bellou, V., Belbasis, L., Tzoulaki, I., & Evangelou, E. (2018). Risk factors for type 2 diabetes
mellitus: an exposure-wide umbrella review of meta-analyses.
PloS one
,
13
(3),
e0194127.
Cole, J. B., & Florez, J. C. (2020). Genetics of diabetes mellitus and diabetes
complications.
Nature reviews nephrology
,
16
(7), 377-390.
Jannasch, F., Kröger, J., & Schulze, M. B. (2017). Dietary patterns and type 2 diabetes: a
systematic
literature
review and meta-analysis of prospective studies.
The Journal of
nutrition
,
147
(6), 1174-1182.
Sigal, R. J., Armstrong, M. J., Bacon, S. L., Boule, N. G., Dasgupta, K., Kenny, G. P., & Riddell,
M. C. (2018). Physical activity and diabetes.
Canadian journal of diabetes
,
42
, S54-S63.