The Issue
Healthy lifestyle habits help prevent a range of serious illnesses including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and certain cancers. Being active and having a balanced diet helps improve everyday performance and helps people avoid back problems, joint problems and obesity.
In plain & simple terms, poor lifestyle habits – lack of physical activity and an unhealthy diet – are killing us.
Sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits have caused an unprecedented rise in obesity, which is now a global public health problem. Regardless of whether or not people are obese, poor diet and physical inactivity are major risk factors for:
- Heart Disease
- Stroke
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Certain Cancers
These diseases are largely preventable, being caused by decades of poor lifestyle habits.
Society bears a huge cost from these illnesses, both in human and economic terms. If we eat a balanced diet and move more, we can protect ourselves from these diseases.
Non-Communicable (Chronic) Diseases
Lifestyle-related chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease & stroke are the leading cause of mortality in the world. As well as causing premature death, chronic diseases lead to:
- High rates of morbidity
- Significant reduction in quality of life
- Huge economic costs associated with the management of chronic diseases
- Significant human and societal costs
Chronic non-communicable illnesses are strongly influenced by diet and physical activity levels. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), better diet and adequate physical activity are essential for the prevention of these diseases.
Obesity
Obesity is emerging as a major public health problem globally. This represents a health time bomb – obesity is associated with increased risk for cancer, heart disease and other chronic illnesses.
Obesity has been associated with unhealthy eating and low levels of physical activity. However, the problem is complex and is linked to environmental factors. If healthy food choices are difficult to access and there are barriers to being physically active, poor lifestyle habits become inevitable – they are not a matter of choice. Effective prevention of obesity needs to consider:
- Improving availability of healthy food
- Restricting availability of unhealthy food
- Transport & urban planning policy
- Increasing opportunities for play, physical activity & sport
- Education
A Balanced Diet
The consumption of energy-dense nutrient-poor foods has been associated with obesity and other health problems. World Health Organisation guidelines for good nutrition include:
- Increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables
- Increasing consumption of legumes, whole grains and nuts
- Limiting energy intake from fat
- Consume less saturated fats (i.e. animal fat) in favour of unsaturated fats
- Limiting the intake of sugars
Physical Activity
For optimal health, adults should be active for 30 minutes per day and children should be physically active for 60 minutes per day. Physical activity includes active play, sport, active transport (e.g. walking & cycling), games, chores and planned exercise. Physical activity can take place in the context of everyday life, at work, at school, in the home and in leisure settings, and the target is cumulative – it can be spread across several segments throughout the day.
