I have been approached by the local Council, who in partnership with various Fitness centres in the area, have identified a need to educate people about various lifestyle factors and how they may affect health. So I am going to discuss and examine the components of lifestyle factors. Physical activity (PA) is anything from pushing the vacuum cleaner around the house, to playing football for a professional team. 30 minutes of moderate intensity PA, 5 times a week is deemed enough to receive health benefits. For children this is increased to 60 minutes a day, but still 5 times a week.
Regular PA can increase your BMR by 10%, which can contribute to losing weight and mobilising joints. The actual definition for weight lose is, the decrease of risk of getting CHD (Coronary Heart Disease), some types of cancer (colon and prostate), and diabetes. Also PA helps alleviate arthritis. We’ve known about the health risks of smoking for over 50 years, yet 1 in 5 adults still smoke. 22 % of men smoke in the UK, statistics show that a smoker is more likely to be male, a manual worker, between the age of 20 – 24, from an ethnic minority (particularly Bangladeshi), and from the north west of the UK.
There are 3 main chemicals in a cigarette, Tar (which can cause cancer), Carbon Monoxide (reduces oxygen levels in the body), and nicotine (addictive substance that increases cholesterol levels). Excess cholesterol caused by smoking narrows blood vessels making blood clots more likely to form. Other health risks include, Hypertension (repeatedly high blood pressure exceeding 190 over 40 (140 with a diastolic pressure above 90), Impotence (erectile dysfunction is the inability to maintain an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse regardless of the capability of ejaculation), eye problems, and discoloured teeth and gums.
The Health Education Authority recommends that women should drink no more than 2 units per day of alcohol, for men it is 3 units. Both men and women should have at least 2 alcohol free days a week. It takes one hour for an adult to get rid of one unit of alcohol, a unit is any of these; half a pint of beer, one shot of spirit, small glass of wine, and half an alcopop bottle. Alcohol affects the brain which in turn impacts on: judgement, inhibitions, speech, vision, coordination and balance, anxiety, and depression. Excessive alcohol can make you vomit which in itself can be dangerous and not very pleasant.
Cirrhosis of the liver is more commonly associated with alcohol consumption. The liver ceases to function so you can no longer fight infection, remove waste and toxins, produce proteins, or breakdown fat. 26,00 people die from Cirrhosis every year. 6% of deaths from cancer are caused by alcohol. It can lead to any of the following; mouth cancer, larynx cancer, oesophagus cancer, liver, breast cancer, and bowel cancer. Stress is the body’s reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental, or emotional adjustment or response.
The fight or flight response is the body’s (and minds response to change or fear. The body releases a hormone called adrenaline which increases HR (heart rate), breathing rate, and rate of digestion. During stressful periods, extra hormones and chemicals are released which are not used up during exercise and can lead to CDH. The pressure caused by raised HR damages blood vessels. Other physical effects of stress include high blood pressure and it lowers the immune system which makes us more susceptible to suffering from illnesses.
Stress can lead to psychological issues such as; depression, anxiety, lack of concentration, and inconsistent behaviour. We can actually lower stress by eating well, exercising regularly, balance work and play, talk out troubles, etc. There are 6 lifestyle factors that affect our health. The first is alcohol which I have already discussed above, alcohol is high in calorie content and low on nutrition. It contributes to weight gain and if you drink too much, too often, it can lead to all sorts of health problems such as high blood pressure and liver damage.
We may all overindulge from time to time, but try not to make this a regular thing. Drinking a lot in one session is never a good thing for your health. Next is exercise which I have not talked about, most people think of exercise solely in terms of weight loss, but it also builds muscles and bones, lifts mood and is a great way of beating stress. If you don’t do 30 minutes of walking most days, plus one or two aerobic sessions a week, you aren’t exercising enough. Sleep is another factor I have not discussed yet. Most adults need four, eight, or twelve hours of sleep each night.
When we sleep, we rest and our body is able to renew its energy. This may be why a good night’s sleep seems to improve the immune system, minimising our risk of illness. Sleep is also important because of dreams. When we dream, we process all the events of daily life. Getting a good night’s sleep, therefore, influences our psychological wellbeing. Smoking causes cell damage, which can lead to illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. It also drains the body of many essential vitamins and minerals, affecting your ability to absorb these vital nutrients.
The only way to avoid this damage is to stop smoking. We all have an instinctive stress response that releases hormones into our bloodstream when we are faced with danger. These hormones cause instant mental and physical change in us, giving added strength and endurance so we can fight or take flight. Instead of using our stress hormones in emergencies, we live at such a pace that many of us activate them all the time, like when we are going to miss a train or someone cuts us up on the motorway. Most tense people don’t give themselves sufficient time and space to rest after each stress-filled moment.
With no release, your stress hormones keep on working, which is why there are so many people around who lose their tempers at the slightest provocation. The final life factor is diet. Maintaining an overall healthy diet not only offers your body the energy and nutrition that it needs to function, but offers several health benefits as well. Keeping a healthy diet reduces risk of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, reduces risk for type 2 diabetes, protects against certain cancers, such as mouth, stomach, and colon-rectum cancer.
Other things that are reduced are the risk of coronary artery disease, help decrease bone loss and reduce the risk of developing kidney stones, help with weight management, reduce constipation, and reduce risk of coronary artery disease. The daily recommendations guidelines of each food group are; carbohydrates 57%, proteins 13%, fat 30% (no more than 10 % saturated), vitamins and minerals do not have accurate recommended amount because different people need different amounts, and a person should drink between 6 – 8 (2/3 litres) glasses of water.