Lifestyle diseases can be defined as diseases as a result of the way people live and work. The major cause of these diseases includes unhealthy diet, unhealthy routine, sitting for hours and no extra-curricular activity to keep the body and organs working. Lifestyle diseases also known as chronic diseases are a category of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and these diseases are spreading rapidly among people. A 2019 survey reported that 70% among Indian women and 59% among Indian men were unhealthy due to their lifestyle and diet.
Heart disease, along with growing susceptibility to cancer and diabetes, is one of the leading causes of mortality in India over two decades.
NCDs are very likely to be caused by four behavioral factors. These factors include consumption of tobacco and alcohol, bad diet, little or no physical activity, and bad work routine. According to World Health Organization, the attack of NCDs in developing countries and middle-class people is worst and more death due to NCDs occur in developing countries. Over the past few decades, we are consuming unhealthy diets, junk foods, and a large population consumes alcohol and smokes cigarettes. No or less physical activities, lack of sleep, and lack of spiritual health are making our bodies weak and open to lifestyle diseases. It has become really important that governments and institutions should take part in awareness of good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle amongst people.
In 2005, United Nations (UN) reported that lifestyle diseases resulted in 35 million; 61% of all deaths globally. Further, the UN suggested that death due to lifestyle diseases are expected to increase by 70% in 2030. With that, India is highly affected by chronic diseases. According to the GOQii India Fit report 2020, 62% of people having lifestyle diseases in India fall under either very high risk or on the threshold of high-risk measuring spectrum. The report suggested that in India, women are more affected and exposed to lifestyle diseases as compared to men. A shocking 71% of women fall in the high-risk unhealthy category. While young boys/girls between 18-30 ages are prone to unhealthy habits and have high chances of being affected by any kind of lifestyle disease.
In this article, we have discussed very common lifestyle diseases, and how to prevent them. Being an Indian National, it is the responsibility of everyone to spread awareness and know the preventions of these deadly diseases.
1) Obesity- Common Lifestyle Diseases in India
Obesity isn’t just a cosmetic concern, it is a real and complex disease. Obesity is when a person gains more than his/her actual weight and gains more body fat. Obesity can highly cause heart problems, diabetes, certain cancers, and high blood pressure. Body to mass index (BMI) is referred to as calculating, height, weight, and body size that tells you if you are underweight, normal, or over-weight. A body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher is an indicator of obesity. In India, 20.7% of women of the total population and 18.6% of men of the total population have been attacked with obesity. The highly possible causes behind obesity are eating too much unhealthy food and moving very little. A person with a weight greater than normal weight can experience serious problems such as respiratory problems, an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The NFHS has shown India to be the world’s second-largest population with 155 million obese people now.
How to Prevent Obesity?
- Breastfeed infants to prevent obesity in children
- Give children a healthy and appropriate amount of diet
- Increase consuming healthy foods and decrease consuming unhealthy foods
- Take part in extra-curricular and healthy physical activities.
- Make sure to get a quality sleep
- Limit being procrastinate
2) Type II Diabetes- Common lifestyle diseases in India 2021
As stated earlier, Obesity can be a major cause behind type 2 Diabetes. Type 2 diabetes refers to high blood sugar in the body. This happens when the human body uses and regulates its sugar as a fuel. As a result, human blood is mixed and circulates with a high amount of sugar in the bloodstream, and eventually, this causes damage to the immune system, nervous system and can become a reason for the circulatory disorder as well. Young adults are more exposed to this lifestyle disease in India. According to International Diabetes Federation, India has the largest population affected with type II diabetes. Around 40.9 million people in India are affected by this lifestyle disease where 11.6% is urban and 2.4% is rural population. A report released by National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2020 reported that Kerala has the highest percentage 24.8% of the blood-sugar rate in women
How to Prevent Type II Diabetes?
- Limit the use of sugar and refined carbs
- Do healthy activities and exercise regularly
- Drink water after every half hour
- Lose weight and keep track of your weight regularly
- Quit smoking and alcohol consumption
- Take a high-fiber diet
- Vitamin D helps limit control sugar levels- Take it when necessary
3) Heart Diseases- Lifestyle diseases in India
Heart diseases include a wide range of cardiovascular problems and are triggered by many conditions and diseases. Heart disease, along with growing susceptibility to cancer and diabetes, is one of the leading causes of mortality in India over two decades. In 2016, 54.5 million people were estimated to be affected by CVDs. 1 in 4 death in India and 80% of the burden is due to CVDs with stroke and ischemic heart disease. The number of deaths due to CVDs in 1990 was 2.26 million that is increased to 4.77 million in 2020. In the last 25 years in particular in urban populations, the prevalence rates of CVD risk factors have risen rapidly in India. The prevalence rate of heart diseases in India is 13.2% in urban areas and 7.4% in rural areas of India. The INTERHEART study shows that higher risk factors for CVD are abdominal obesity, hypertension, and diabetes and the young generation is at higher risk than other ethnic groups in India.
How to Prevent Heart Diseases
- Again, quit consumption of tobacco and alcohol
- Plan for a healthy activity and make it your routine
- Add vegetables and fruits to your diet for a healthy heart.
- Get quality sleep and keep following the weight records
- Keep a check on diseases that spark heart diseases. Blood-sugar, cholesterol level, and type II diabetes
4) Chronic Respiratory Diseases
The diseases that are caused by problems in airways and structural damage of the lungs are called Chronic Respiratory Diseases. The major causes behind the attack of these diseases are the use of tobacco, chemicals and dust, and air pollution. CRDs are very unlikely curable, but, there are many forms of treatments available that help clean the air passage and improve breath shortness to increase the quality of life even with the disease. Respiratory diseases, Asthma, and COPD are the second leading reason for deaths having a percentage of 10.2% in the people aged between 25-60 years in India. They contribute 3% of disability-adjusted-life-years (DALYs).
Best Ways to Prevent Chronic Respiratory Diseases
- Try to avoid polluted areas
- Exercise and participate in physical games
- Stop smoking and drinking alcohol
- Get chest steam therapy by professionals
5) Cancer
Cancer includes a wide range of diseases caused by the growth of abnormal cells that increase uncontrollably and have the ability to destroy or damage the human body cells and tissues. Cancer nowadays is more likely a lifestyle disease and it can spread throughout the human body. The most common factors that trigger the growth of cancer in India are consumption of alcohol, little or no physical activity, unhealthy diet, and consumption of tobacco. In India, male cancer patients were reported to be 679,421 which is (94.1/100000) and female cancer patients were reported to be 712758 that is (103.6/100000) in 2020. In India, 1 in 68 males is affected with lung cancer while 1 in 29 females have breast cancer. The most common cancer forms among males in India that have been reported are Mouth Cancer, Lung Cancer, Tongue Cancer, and Stomach Cancer). While in females, most common cancer form that has been reported are Cervix Uteri Cancer, Breast Cancer, Corpus Uteri Cancer, and Ovary Cancer.
Methods to Prevent Cancer
- Keep track of your health and regular diagnosis by professional doctors
- Pick a healthy diet for regular consumption
- Increase the consumption of vegetables, fruits and limit use of processed meat
- Avoid obesity and adopt a regular exercise routine
- Leave smoking and alcohol consumption habits
6) Mental Illness or Mental Disorder
Mental illness, also known as mental health disorders, refers to a broad range of conditions for mental health, which affect your mood, mind, and behavior. For example, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia. Many individuals occasionally have mental health issues. However, a concern for mental wellbeing becomes a mental disease when symptoms and signs trigger frequent discomfort and impair the ability to operate. According to Statista, in 2017, 14% of the Indian total population suffer from various mental disorders and illnesses. Where adult females in India have the biggest share in this percentage.
How to prevent Mental Illness?
- Value yourself and do something you enjoy and something that pleases you
- Add a healthy diet to your daily meal
- Spare yourself some time and heal your mind and body
- Help Other, It will relax your mind and soul
- Get maximum of sunlight and take deep breaths
- Stop the usage of alcohol and cigarettes
7) Food Allergies
Food allergy refers to the uncertain and irregular response of abdominal to certain foods. Food allergies are caused by misinterpretation of certain proteins in food by your immune system. In this case, the digestive system starts a defensive system against those misinterpreted proteins that causes swelling and itching in the mouth, vomiting, and diarrhea. Reports suggest that in India, 3% of people already have food allergies and the number is increasing with time. Nearly 30,000 emergency treatments and 2000 deaths per year are due to food allergies in India. 3 million Indians have peanut allergies alone.
Methods to Prevent Food Allergies
- Read labels on food products
- Eat natural food regularly
- Have an action plan in case of a food allergy emergency
- Consult professional doctors about the problem
- Empower yourself and take the prescription as described
8) Hormonal Disorder
The hormones play a vital role in the human body. They are considered chemical messengers in the body. When the human body’s hormones decrease in the bloodstream below the normal quantity, hormonal imbalance starts to occur. Even a minor hormonal imbalance can cause dangerous side effects in the human body. Although research data on hormonal disorder diseases in India isn’t available much. But, small research studies suggest that every 12th person in India is suffering from hormonal diseases.
How to Prevent Hormonal Disorder
- Eat the right diet and avoid an unhealthy diet
- Get quality sleep
- Get the required vitamins as prescribed by doctors
- Participate in healthy exercise and physical games
9) Arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis occurs when the arteries become dense, rigid and blood supply to organs and tissues of the body is constrained. This is the common cause of cardiovascular disease, strokes, and periphery—which together is known to be cardiovascular disease. More than 10.5 million deaths occur every year in India and 20.3 percent of deaths in males and 16.9 percent of all deaths in females have been recorded by CVD. The age group 34-64 in India has at least 30-40 percent of cardiovascular deaths.
Techniques to Prevent Arteriosclerosis
- Prevent and quit smoking cigarettes
- Add low cholesterol food to your diets
- Regular exercise helps reduce fat and prevents Arteriosclerosis
- Get your blood pressure and Cholesterol level checked by doctors
10) Swimmers Ear
The main cause of this lifestyle disease in India can be the usage of earphones for long, swimming in unclean water, and noise pollution, etc. In this case, this disease causes inflammation, infection, or irritation in the outer ear or ear canal. In the medical world, Swimmers Ear is termed as External Otitis. According to research findings, about 12.5 percent of people in India sustained permanent hearing loss because of excessive noise exposure. This figure is projected to increase by the year.
How to Prevent Swimmers Ear or External Otitis
- Do not put anything and stick stuff in your ears
- Use headphones whenever deemed necessary
- Use cotton balls when spraying or dying your hairs
- Make sure that the water of swimming pool is clean
- Don’t swim in waters that might have lots of bacteria
https://www.statista.com/topics/5191/state-of-health-in-india/#dossierSummary__chapter5
