What are lifestyle diseases and how can they be prevented?

One of the biggest problems facing humanity today are civilization diseases. The development of technology, improvement of the quality of life and the general enrichment of society have brought many good things with them, but have also caused drastic changes in everyone's life. Due to the progress of civilization, the lifestyle has changed the most, so that civilization diseases affect the elderly and younger people, and even children.

Lifestyle disease – what are the causes?

The main cause of the development of lifestyle diseases is lifestyle itself. Low physical activity, bad diet choices, and neglect of mental health - those are the main reasons. Many people, in their daily rush, forgot how movement and a balanced diet is important to maintain good health. These aspects are very often downplayed, and taking care of it is considered time-consuming or costly. On the other hand, other people say that it is simply unnecessary to care for them. Importantly, the above-mentioned problems do not concern adults only. More and more often, lifestyle diseases also affect very young people. Other risk factors of lifestyle diseases include smoking, drinking alcohol and using drugs.

The causes of lifestyle diseases can be divided into two groups:

• Indirect causes, i.e. those resulting from the progressive industrialization and pollution of the environment; you can’t fully protect yourself against them.
• Direct causes, which include a sedentary lifestyle, low physical activity, heavy alcohol and coffee consumption, unbalanced diet, smoking, as well as chronic stress and lack of rest. These factors can be limited or completely eliminated.

What diseases are the lifestyle diseases?

The list of disease entities classified as lifestyle diseases is very long. The most common of them are:

• Cancers (colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, head and neck cancers)
• Cardiovascular diseases (ischemic heart disease, heart attack, stroke, hypertension, atherosclerosis, etc.)
• Diabetes (type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance)
• Overweight and obesity
• Depression, anxiety disorders, neurosis and addictions

Most diseases can be prevented effectively. However, it is necessary to abandon bad habits in favor of the good ones.

Lifestyle diseases - prevention

While we are not able to completely eliminate indirect causes, we can do a lot in the case of direct ones. The introduction of a few simple modifications will minimize the risk of getting lifestyle diseases. Prevention mainly involves changes in... the lifestyle. The most important actions include:

• Regular examinations – basic examinations which can be used to detect many abnormalities in the body are blood counts and urine tests; if you notice any disturbing symptoms, it is necessary to see a doctor as soon as possible.
• A balanced and healthy diet – its composition should include a daily dose of fruit and vegetables, which are a source of beneficial fiber and many valuable vitamins and minerals; in addition to these, you should eat foods that contain healthy fats (e.g. omega-3).
• Physical activity – according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, the minimum dose of physical activity per week for adults is 150 minutes;
• Avoiding stress – stress causes the release of adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol, high concentrations of which, sustained for a long time, may disturb the functioning of the body; in order to minimize the negative effect of stress, it is worth learning relaxation techniques and making sure you have time to rest during the day;
• Getting enough sleep – the body, its cells and tissues regenerate during sleep.

For some people, implementing these changes may be a challenge. The complete abandonment of bad habits, often acquired over the years, can be a great difficulty, discouraging further action. In such cases, consider introducing them gradually.

A lot of positive changes in the body can happen even when only the diet is modified. Keep in mind that this does not necessarily mean giving up your favorite food. The first step towards good habits is to reach for healthier counterparts of your favorite foods. The case is very similar with physical activity, which does not only mean intensive training in the gym and long-distance running. Even a half-hour walk can have a beneficial effect on the body. It is very important to choose an activity that will bring us joy. Thanks to this, we will not have a problem with being systematic and introducing it into our daily routine.