Being only 38-years-old, Mohit could not believe that he had developed colorectal cancer. Including him, many of them tend to ignore what they consider are mere ailments like passing bright red bowels due to piles. This misjudgment combined with the fact that he led a very active life put him in a very vulnerable position as he was ill prepared for a diagnosis of such a nature. Sitting in front of the computer for hours for a software engineer named Mohit practically made him’s live far from ideal. Tender care, long shifts at work, and daily travels consumed most of the hours in a day and did not allow for exercise. His diet was not well balanced, and he often took what could be easily described as junk food. Due to the pressure of working to meet the set time, he had to take to smoking to tackle the pressures and over the time his weight had increased by nearly 10 kg. Basically, his story shows the grim reality that comes with an unhealthy lifestyle.
Chronic diseases, often referred to as noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), are among the most pressing health issues of the present and the future. These diseases are not infected diseases rather a set caused by wrong behaviors and living standards. Unhealthy diet, inadequate physical inactivity, smoking and taking a lot of alcohol bear high risk factors. Pollution levels, therefore, add to such risks hence making them a perfect bet for long term health complications. Some of the typical modern diseases include cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, obesity, cancer diseases, chronic-obstructive pulmonary diseases and mental diseases including depression. The common cancer related with a bad Lifestyle are colorectal cancer, and breast cancer which are caused by obesity and smoking respectively.
However, mouth and throat cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, stomach and esophagus also become more vulnerable by smoking and tobacco intake.
But most of these diseases are a result of lifestyle choices and making simple changes can greatly impact this area. The best thing an individual can do for his or her health is to stop smoking. Tobacco kills nearly one third of all people who die from conditions that could have been prevented, its products have a negative impact on virtually every organ in the body. This includes; staying active through exercises and ensuring that the body is fed adequately, but not over fed. Exercise directly assists in controlling the body weight, strengthens the heart muscles and lowers stress. A good diet that includes foods with antioxidants, can actually shield the cells from harm and lower inflammation; a natural shield that prevents chronic diseases.
The third part of leading a healthy life is Stress Management. This kind of stress impacts the mental and physical health by disturbing hormonal secretion and destabilizing the immune function. Mindfulness, meditation or even heading off to do simple activities one which might find stressful, can help in avoiding the extra effects of pressure.
Through (these) modifications, the risk of the origin of chronic diseases is minimized, and the quality of life is enhanced. This is a cautionary and alas a very timely tale to recount Mohit’s to bring home the fact how one needs to take care of one’s health, not let be derailed by the pressures of the new yo-young lifestyle. Preventable actions and decisions are the only ways to treat lifestyle diseases and their severe outcomes. Paying more attention to what we do today will likely improve how we do what we do in the coming days.
Dr Reshma Puranik Consultant Medical oncologist Ruby Hall Clinic Pune