• What are civilization diseases?
• Basic causes of lifestyle diseases
• Pola Lalonda - what influence do you really have on your life and health?
• Obesity, the beginning of almost every civilization disease
• Why can the diet of a modern person predispose to the occurrence of civilization diseases?
• Factors that can lead to diseases of civilization - independent of us
• summary

The topic of lifestyle diseases is now being discussed quite frequently by many prominent experts. This is of course closely related to their enormous impact on the lives of all of us, but also to a much broader occurrence. The rapid development of civilization over the last few decades has greatly improved the quality of life for virtually all of us and has exposed us to increasing threats. It is worth noting that we can protect ourselves from most of them, and they are almost one hundred percent dependent on us. However, this does not change the fact that the proportion of these civilization diseases is the highest in history and the forecasts for the coming years are not very optimistic. Therefore, in this article we will try to explain the origin of these diseases, possible effects and discuss the factors that are largely responsible for their development.

What are civilization diseases?

Lifestyle diseases are nothing new, but there is no denying that they are taking the greatest toll in modern times. Also called simply diseases of the 21st century, their occurrence is closely correlated with the rapid development of civilization. Interestingly, their occurrence is not strictly related to the age of the patient, but children are also increasingly affected. It is worth mentioning that not all diseases that can be called civilization diseases have been classified yet. However, the basic disease entities of this type include:

• obesity
• Type-II-Diabetes
• Krebs
• Cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis)
• diseases of the respiratory tract
• Various food and inhalant allergies
• osteoporosis
• Mental illnesses (depression, anorexia, bulimia, neuroses, affective disorders, personality disorders)
• Addiction disorders (alcoholism, nicotinism, drug addiction, drug addiction)
• Infectious diseases (AIDS, tuberculosis)
• Digestive system disorders (stomach ulcers, hemorrhoids, heartburn, diarrhea, constipation)

Let's add that in our country diseases of the cardiovascular system are responsible for most of the premature deaths. Immediately afterwards all kinds of cancer were on the podium, and in other positions we can name, for example, various lung diseases, mostly the consequences of smoking, as well as obesity and type II diabetes. It is also worth noting that the fact that a particular disease entity has been classified as a civilization disease is not permanent. Eventually, its occurrence in society, as well as its mortality rate, may decrease to such an extent that it is removed from this list. It is also worth considering that this scheme also works in reverse.

Basic causes of lifestyle diseases

In fact, there are many reasons for the occurrence of lifestyle diseases, but practically all of them are closely related to modern lifestyle and environmental changes. The increasingly dense urban development, the degradation of green landscapes such as forests, parks, squares and their transformation into almost concrete deserts are only the tip of the iceberg. Likewise when it comes to the development of modern technologies. Thanks to them, our life has become much easier, but it is worth considering this issue from a different angle. This rapid progress requires daily adjustments from all of us. The human body is susceptible to this, but only to a certain extent. We live on the run, we consume heavily processed products, we don't care too much about proper rest, and we're bombarded with a flood of unnecessary information on an almost daily basis. All these factors have an extremely negative effect on us and can increase the occurrence of chronic stress. In addition, these technologies can also deprive us of daily physical activity. It's no big secret that the 21st century is a time of relative comfort. We lead a sedentary lifestyle and very often our entertainment and free time boils down to sitting on the couch and watching our favorite series. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, provided we don't spend most of the day that way. Our bodies are genetically programmed to exercise, and if we don't allow it to do so, in many cases we are on the road to obesity.

Pola Lalonda - what influence do you really have on your life and health?

Mar Lalonde, was Canada's Minister of Health. In 1974 he co-published a paper with the Department entitled A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians. It caused a stir in the medical community. The most important element were the health fields, which illustrated the influence of individual factors on human health. The original version lists 4 areas that have the greatest impact on human health.

• Behavioral and lifestyle factors affect our health for 53 percent. Elements such as physical activity, eating habits, body hydration or the ability to manage stress are just some of them. This group also includes: healthy sleep, sexual behavior, stimulants and regular check-ups.
• Factors from the area of the environment in which we live affect our health in 21 percent. Above all, they affect the quality and purity of the air we breathe, the location of where we live and the people in our immediate vicinity.
• Factors related to our genetics and biology influence our health in 16 percent. Within this realm there are mainly genetic predispositions to possible diseases that may affect us or possible health problems that are beyond our control.
• Factors in the area of accessibility and the organization of our healthcare system affect our health by 10 percent. These include the availability of qualified medical staff, but also the quality of the services offered, access to them and even the possible arrival time of an ambulance.

Of course, these fields are somewhat conventional, but nevertheless they reflect the current situation well. It is clear that in the vast majority of cases, we ourselves have the greatest influence on our lives. The fact is that there can always be some random factor over which we have little control that can in some way lead to the occurrence of a particular disease. Nevertheless, a healthy and active lifestyle, abstinence from all kinds of drugs, or a friendly work or study environment will certainly have a significant impact on our health in the future.

Obesity, the beginning of almost every civilization disease

Obesity is an underlying condition closely related to lifestyle. In addition, in a large number of cases, it determines the occurrence of other accompanying diseases of civilization. To better understand this connection, let's use an example. The incidence of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes and cancer are closely related to obesity. Of course, as lean, physically active and eating well, we can get these conditions, but the chances are really slim. On the other hand, if we reverse the example, we find that practically the majority of patients suffering from it are overweight or obese. Obesity predisposes and significantly increases the risk of other diseases. There is a very strong connection here. It's also worth noting that obesity was the first lifestyle disease to be identified. Therefore, to reduce the risk of getting sick and possible complications, we should start changing our eating habits and introducing daily physical activity. It is estimated that only these two factors can significantly reduce the risk of contracting diseases of all kinds.

Why can the diet of a modern person predispose to the occurrence of civilization diseases?

We have already mentioned that it is the daily eating habits that can be a kind of defense against the onset of various lifestyle diseases, including obesity. Unfortunately, sometimes they are also the main source of many problems. It is worth noting that our grandparents or even parents very often ate differently from us. Such a quick and rapid change in eating habits in a relatively short time could not go without consequences. First of all, the composition and quality of the fatty acids supplied to the body changed. Likewise the glycemic load of individual products that we consume. We eat more and are high in simple sugars and unhealthy trans fats. In addition, our diet is too low in fiber and usually has an unfavorable ratio of sodium to potassium. It's also worth noting that we consume many products that make our bodies acidic, which upsets the acid-base balance. The last piece of the puzzle is the energy density of modern foods. We eat products that are much higher in calories and at the same time light in weight. In the long term, it can lead to overeating, thereby increasing the risk of obesity. Interestingly, all these factors characterize well the so-called "Western diet", which is the result of a fast lifestyle and the great industrialization of the world. Unfortunately, highly processed foods, too much salt in the diet, low consumption of fruits and vegetables and little physical activity are signs of the times.

Factors that can lead to diseases of civilization - independent of us

Although the occurrence of lifestyle diseases is inevitably related to our lifestyle, there are several factors beyond our control that can cause them. The first and by far the greatest impact is the quality of the air we breathe. It's no big secret that those, especially in cities, aren't of very good quality. After years of breathing such polluted air, we can get all sorts of diseases. Currently, the incidence of various lung diseases is increasing. Of course, they are most commonly associated with smoking, but the disparity is not as great as it was a few decades ago. Another factor is the omnipresent and chronic stress. The fact is that there are many ways to deal with it. In addition, each of us has a different immunity, which does not change the fact that it has a huge impact on our lives. Finally, it can lead to digestive system disorders such as abdominal pain, stomach ulcers, diarrhea and vomiting. In addition, it lowers our mood and significantly affects the state of the nervous system. It can be responsible for the development of depression and other diseases of the nervous system. Our genes are also worth mentioning. Unfortunately, this is one of the factors over which we have practically no control. Of course, we are talking about genetic predispositions to the development of certain diseases. Even the best diet or a very active lifestyle won't help. However, it is not worth getting discouraged, because often the appearance of this disease or its symptoms requires a suitable activator. A good example is type II diabetes, because even if there is a genetic predisposition, we can significantly reduce this risk through a healthy lifestyle, for example.

summary

Although in many scientific visions diseases of civilization will remain in our environment forever, it is not worth getting discouraged. It should be remembered that while there are factors over which we have little control, there is also a flip side to the coin. All these conditions, starting with obesity, are nothing but the result of our daily choices. It depends to a large extent on us whether we get sick or not. Therefore, it is worth changing your outlook on life, recognizing the threats and learning to live with them. Proper nutrition and physical activity are half, if not more, of our success. It is also necessary to be aware of these threats because it is always easier to defend ourselves against something we know well.