Lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, are linked to an individual’s or society’s standard of living, with developed countries having higher rates. These diseases can be prevented through changes in diet and environment, but genetics may also play a role.
Lifestyle diseases are believed to be in some way rooted in an individual’s or society’s standard of living. These conditions typically occur in higher numbers in developed countries with long-lived citizens and can therefore be divided into diseases of civilization or diseases of longevity. Diseases that are more dependent on social influences include diabetes and obesity, while those that occur more frequently as an individual ages include cancer, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease. Some conditions, such as heart disease, can be influenced by both industrialized life and older age.
Since industrialized regions tend to have less healthy and higher fat diets, the consumption of food causes many diseases of civilization. Obesity is an obvious example, and heavier people are also susceptible to a number of progressive health problems like diabetes and heart disease. The high-cholesterol diets of developed regions also lend themselves to higher rates of heart disease and stroke. Some scientific research suggests that diet may also play a role in the development of cancer. From the early 20th century to the 21st century, as living standards rose and diets deteriorated in many regions, heart disease and cancer became the leading causes of death in many of these regions.
Environmental differences in developed nations may also facilitate lifestyle-related diseases, especially civilizational diseases. For example, the increase in industry produces a subsequent increase in pollution and harmful substances in the air. In turn, respiratory disorders such as asthma also increase. Additionally, an increase in the general pace of modern industrialized life creates higher levels of stress. Perhaps not surprisingly, psychological disorders such as depression have increased in tandem with this cultural shift.
While technological and medical advances have eradicated many infectious diseases and thereby improved life expectancy in many parts of the world, population aging has created a dilemma. Older individuals are more prone to degenerative diseases that deprive them of optimal physical and mental fitness – these are known as longevity diseases. Everything from bones to the immune system weakens as aging continues, leaving older adults vulnerable to a glut of conditions: broken bones, muscle wasting, cancer, and liver and heart disease. Weakening pathways in the brain also create an environment for decreased intellectual awareness, as evidenced by Alzheimer’s disease.
Lifestyle diseases are usually chronic and long-term in nature. They negatively impact a region’s health care system and death rates. On the positive side, due to their nature, many cases of lifestyle diseases are preventable. Changes in diet and environment can eliminate substantial risk factors in these conditions, although other factors such as genetics can also be influential. Greater education and awareness is perhaps the most important weapon in the fight against lifestyle-related diseases.
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