Modifiable Risk Factor of Lifestyle Disease

The WHO’s Western Pacific Region declares noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) as the
top killers in the Philippines. NCDs are non-infectious illnesses but can be inherited or
developed based on individuals lifestyle. An individual’s routine, food intake ,vices like
smoking, drug use , alcohol consumption or way of life can develop this lifestyle diseases. That
is why at a young age, everyone should be informed about the risk of these dreaded NCDs
and how to prevent them.

Smoking

Almost every organ in the body is damage when a person smokes. It weakens the body
and lead to many diseases. Each stick has more than 4000 chemicals and consuming it
would cut an individuals life for at least 5 minutes. Others who are exposed to cigarette
smoke are also at risk from its chemicals.

Tar -a harmful by product of smoking cigarette and is carcinogenic and accumulates

inside the respiratory system.

Nicotine- a toxic chemical compound that mostly consist nitrogen , which also make
cigarette addictive.

Carbon monoxide- a poisonous chemical from born cigarette that make heart do more
work to supply sufficient oxygen in the body.

Kinds of Tobacco Smoke

Mainstream Smoke- commonly known as first hand smoke that is both inhaled and
exhaled by the smoker.
Second-hand Smoke- a smoke puffed out by the smokers and is very dangerous to.
- aka environmental tobacco or sidestream smoke.

Third-hand smoke- cigarette offshoot which is attached to the smokers hair and clothing
as well as various surfaces.

Poor Dietary Habits

Dietary habits is the usual choice of food that people make.

Poor dietary habits - occur when the person does not follow the principle of good
nutrition:

a. Adequacy- refers to moderate amounts of nutrients to maintain normal body

function.
B. Balance- refers to the correct combination of nutrients,
C. Variety- refers to the consumption of different types of food.
- it lead to malnutrition ,resulting to stress,tiredness sleep deprivation, weak brain
functions, indigestion and heart problem.
 - it adds up to the risk of developing diseases heart problems such as: obesity, type 2
diabetes, osteoporosis,high bloood pressure.

Sedentary Lifestyle

Sedentary lifestyle occurs when an individual is lacks the recommended level of regular
physical activity or he/she is physically inactive. Physical inactive is the leading risk factor of
death worldwide.

What does physical inactivity causes you?

-increase risk of certain cancer
-contribute to anxiety and depression
-risk factor of having certain cardiovascular diseases
- decrease in skeletal muscle mass due to excessive sitting
-high blood pressure and high cholesterol level.

Types of Diseases Associated with Unhealthy Lifestyle

1. Cardiovascular Disease- a disease in the heart and blood vessels
Types of Cardiovascular Diseases
*Arteriosclerosis- a condition causing the arteries to harden and thicken

*Atherosclerosis- type of arteriosclerosis, where deposited fats hardens and become

plaques in arterial wall.

* Coronary Heart Diseases- coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked;a disease in the
coronary vessels and not in the heart.
* Heart Attack- cardiac muscle failure due to lack of blood flow in the heart.

*Angina Pectoris- chest pain narrowed coronary arteries due to inadequate oxygen
from the heart.
*Rheumatic Fever- its a fever cause by the attack of the immune system in the
heart,weaknesses and damage to its valves.

*Heart Rhythm Abnormalities- irregular heart rhythm brought about by faulty

electrical conduction system that is worsened by uncontrolled stress levels and high
caffeine intake.

*congestive heart failure- the heart is not able or below its normal capacity to pimp
blood casing liquid to accumulate in the lungs and other areas of the body.

2. Cancer- a disease where cells divide in an uncontrolled pace. This cells can form a tumor
which can be identified as benign or malignant through a biopsy procedure.
Benign- is not cancerous it may increase in size but do not invade other body parts.
Malignant- is cancerous. The tumor can spread to invade and destroy nearby tissues and
body parts. the process is called metastasis.
 4 Major Categories of Cancer

*Carcinoma- an invasive malignant tumor from epithelial tissue that tends to spread to other
body parts. Ex: cancer of the skin, breast, uterus, prostate, lung, colon

* Sarcoma- a connective or supportive cancer which include muscle, bone, fat, blood vessels
and cartilage cancers.

*Lymphoma- arises in cells of the lymphatic or immune system tissues characterized by

abnormal production of white cells and decrease in resistance.

*Leukemia- cancer of the blood and bone marrow characterized by the abnormal
production of blood cells.

3. Diabetes
4. Chronic respiratory Disease- commonly called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD)

Health is wealth. A healthy lifestyle is all about making ones health well-being and priority.

Ways tO Prevent Lifestyle Diseases

 Eat healthy food
 daily routine of Physical activity
 Do not smoke
 Drink moderate amounts of alcohol only
 Manage stress

Go4Health Programs:
* Go Smoke Free highlights the bad effects of smoking.
* Go Slow sa Tagay advocates the use of alcohol drinks in moderation.

* Go Sustansiya aims to prevent hypertension and cardiovascular diseases by campaigning

for the reduced consumption of salt, sugar fats, and high calorie food.
* Go Sigla emphasizes on the regular exercise at least three to four times a week.

Fuel for Performance

In any activity, proper nutrition is important in an individual’s performance.Food taken before,
during and after activities influence performance. Having diet supports a person activities
and helps him/her recover faster while lowering his/her risk of injuries. Eating well and staying
in good health also keeps the person from acquiring illness.

Proper Nutrition for Exercise

Nutrition is the health branch that stresses the importance of food for growth and
development as well as lowering the chances of acquiring diseases and illness. Proper
nutrition relies on the mix of food with varying nutrients that we need to eat everyday.having
too much or too little with this nutrients can lead to illnesses.

Nutrients are important food substances that help our body function properly. It provides
energy and facilitates growth and repair of cells.

6 types of nutrients
Water, protein, carbohydrates, fats , vitamins and minerals

Macronutrients - are required by the body in large amounts such as carbohydrates, fats,
proteins and water.

Micronutrients - are nutrients that are only needed in very little amounts such as vitamins, and
minerals.

Before Exercise:
The food eaten before exercise serves as the energy source and will define one’s
performance.

* carbohydrates is ideal as it increases the blood glucose and glycogen levels for energy
3-4 hours before exercising.
*protein in moderate amount helps recovery after exercise.
*meal should be low in fat and fiber so as not to have digestive or stomach problem.

During exercise:

Proper food intake during exercise increase endurance and performance, prevents an
individual from getting tired easily and gives glucose to the working muscles. The amount
needed depends on the duration of exercise.
* 30-60g of carbohydrates every hour for a heavy exercise of more than one hour
* sports drink or cereal bar is also recommended for easy digestion
*small amounts of food should be taken at intervals.

*water is also required, every 15-30 min. to avoid dehydration. Avoid waiting to get thirsty
before drinking.

After Exercise:
 It is important to eat after exercise to reload the body’s glycogen supply. The amount of
food depend on the duration or intensity and the schedule of the next exercise session.

*it is ideal to eat within the first 30 minutes with 1g of carbohydrate for every 1kg of
individuals weight.

*if there are no plans of exercise for a day or so, it is important to have meal that has
enough carbohydrates to replenish the glycogen stores and must also have protein in
building up and repairing muscle tissue.

Effect of Poor Nutrition

1. Poor performance
2. Long recovery
3. Immune Suppression
4. Weight Changes

Eating Habits and Weight Control

Eating habit characterizes the way an individual consumes food. It relates how, why,
what and with whom an individual eat as well as the way he/she gains, stores, uses and
discards food. Eating habit is likewise influenced by culture, religion, economic status, society
and environment.

Weight control is the process of achieving and maintaining the desired weight of an
individual. Individuals maintaining their desired weight have greater chances of being
healthier than those who are over weight and under weight.

Ways to improve eating habits:

Reflect on all specific eating habits, both bad and good;and identify common triggers for
unhealthy eating.
Replace unhealthy eating habits with healthier ones.
Reinforces it with new healthier eating habits.

Ways to Improve eating Disorders:

1. Writing food diary for a number of days consisting list of eating habits with the specific
food eaten and the time it was consumed.
2. Marking the habits in the list that might lead to overeating
 3. Identifying all triggers of these unhealthy eating habits and picking a few of ones that
could be improved initially.

4. Reviewing the diary and listing the signs or cues that trigger eating other than a reason
for feeling hungry.

5. Reflecting on each signs or cue listed; how it could be avoided and the possibility of
other healthier options if they cannot be avoided.
6. Refraining from unhealthy habits while substituting them with healthy ones.
7. Sustaining the new healthy habits

Factors That Can Affect Weight Control

In general, the complex interaction between internal and external factors is the reason for
being obese. These internal factors are mainly body related like genetics or hormonal
secretions. The external factors, directly influence weight management such as diet, physical
activities and social settings.

1. Genetic Factors and Hormones. Obesity can also be related to hormones like leptin and
ghrelin that depresses appetite and contributes to feeling of hunger respectively.

2. Environmental factors. Controlling triggers of eating habits is essential during weight

control. However, it will take some time overcoming these especially if they have become a
routine or tradition in the family.

3. The Concept of Energy Balance. Energy balance is achieved when the amount of
consumed calories equals the amount of calories used in order to maintain body weight.
Taking more calories than what the body can burn makes an individual gain weight, while
burning more calories that what is consumed will make him/her lose weight. Consequently,
there should be a balance between the two to have constant weight.
Three factors that contribute to total energy spent on daily basis:

Basal Metabolic Rate refers to the energy spent by the body to maintain homeostasis
( i.e. ,normal function)

Physical Activity. Energy is spent every time the muscle contracts when performing
physical activities. People who are sedentary would eventually gain weight because their
muscles are inactive most of the time.
Thermic Effect of Food refers to the energy spent to digest the food.

FAD DIETS AND SUPPLEMENTS

Diet that promises quick result with little effort easily earns and loses popularity shortly
after consumers realize it as just False Advertisement. A diet claiming instant results without
exercise or reduction of calorie intake will not reduce body fat.

Guidelines for Safe and Nutritious Diet:

 Eat food that are low in calories but provides all required essential body nutrients such as
vitamins and minerals.
 Fat should be less than 30% of total calories with high complex carbohydrates.
 Variety of food to suit tastes and avoid hunger between meals.
 Compatible with lifestyle and readily available
 Diet should be lifelong and sustainable.

Dietary Supplements

Dietary Supplements are substances that continue to health maintenance and overall
diet. This includes vitamins, minerals, amino acid, enzymes and animal extracts. It comes in
different forms, usually in tablets and capsules. These supplements complements the dietary
intake of essential nutrients and help reduce the risk of diseases but are not medicinal drugs
intended to cure particular diseases.

Below are examples of improper intake of supplements, which may lead to dangerous or
life threatening consequences:
 combination of supplements;
 Supplements combined with medications;
 Taking supplements in replacement of prescription medicines;
 Overdosage of certain supplements like vitamins; and
 Certain supplements can be dangerous before, during and after surgery.

Hence , the best option is to AVOID taking supplements unless prescribed by a licensed
physician.

STRESS

Stress is a reaction of the body and mind to unkind challenging life incidents such as tense
feelings, worry or discomfort. Most people consider stress as a negative experience but this
not always the case, it can be also postive.

a.) Eustress or positive stress promotes growth and accomplishments and stimulates you to go
on. The enhancing influence on our productivity and satisfaction.
b.) Distress or the negative stress often causes poor performance. The harmful consequences
of stress.

Causes and Effect of Stress

 Stressor is an event or situation that causes stressful situation which are seen as risk to the
well-being of a person. The body respond to situation by secreting hormones that prepares
the body to respond to the situation. The stress response is not harmful to the body;however
frequent activation of the stress response has negative consequences on the body:
*it leaves the body feeling weak, tired and impairs the immune system.
*these causes anxiety that affects individuals health, behavior and life

Acute Stress the most common form arises from recent, past, and foreseen difficulties.it
occurs briefly and appears in bit of thrill.

Cumulative Stress is a series of stress that has built up. Several individuals ignore the signs
early and end up accumulating them.

Chronic Stress is a form of stress that is recurring. It is a prolonged stress that is dangerous
and can lead to severe health problems.

Stressors also lead to stress response or the body’s reaction to stress which help him bring
balance.
Different sources of stress which range from life-threatening events to small events:

1. Major Life Changes. Majority of stressors are key life changers that influence an individuals
family and social life. These stressful changes threaten ones sense of security and self-esteem.
(death of a loved one, losing a job)

2. Everyday Problems. The stress or “hassles” we encounter everyday or occasional petty

incidents are part of this group. (dressing concerns, misplacing or losing of things, too much
things in mind or physical appearance)

3. Physical Surroundings. The immediate surrounding affect the level of day-today stress.
People in depressed, dangerous, or polluted areas also suffer high stress levels as well as those
exposed to calamities, tragedies, armed conflicts and other disasters.

4. Other Stressors. Other stressors involving teenagers include worrying about the future,
conflicts and disagreements with family members, friends and other people, among others.

Common Reactions that are Experienced During Stressful Situations

Physical Signs Emotional Signs Behavioral Signs Psychological Signs

 Muscle tension  Anger  Loss of appetite  Constantly irritable
with other people
 Headache  Impatience  Overeating
 Feeling of being
 Pounding heart  Nervousness  Drug abuse
failure
 Shortness of breath  Forgetfulness  Sleep problems
 Difficulty of making
 Increased sweating  Inability to  Restlessness decisions
concentrate
 Dry mouth  Hurrying and talking  Loss of interest in
 Negative thinking too fast other people
 Skin rash
 Excessive worrying  Criticizing others  Having a hard time
 Grinding teeth, nail to concentrate
biting  Loss of interest  Reckless behavior

 Self criticism  Fidgeting

 Frequent crying

The GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME

 A theory developed by Austrian- Canadian Hans Selye

1. Alarm stage is the phase where the brain deciphers the distress and instantly deals with it.

2. Resistance stage is the process wher the Stress is being resolved after meeting its demands
the body goes back to normal afterward.
3. Exhaustion Stage develops when stress recurs until it becomes chronic and reaches this
final stage.

Appropriate Stress Management Strategies

1. Manage Stressors
2. Rest and Sleep
3. Exercise
4. Use Relaxation Methods

a. Progressive Relaxation uses body’s feedback mechanism in reducing muscle

tension,it is essential to learn and practice exercise that can relax tense muscles
b. Deep Breathing tells the brain to calm down and relax, relieving the stress.

c. Meditation is a technique that temporarily “tunes out” the world, disregards outside
disturbance, and provides inner peace.

d. Visualization (creative imagery) uses imagination to relax and reduces stress (creating
a pleasing image in your mind).

COUNTERPRODUCTIVE COPING STRATEGIES

Coping - is defined as the capacity to respond and recover from something stressful
(WHO,1999).
 - is the conscious response to psychological stress in attempt to balance mental
and emotional conditions.

Coping Styles

People use various coping styles to counter stress but its effectiveness depends on the
situation and the individual. It can be adaptive or maladaptive.
*Adaptive coping involves direct confrontation and prevention of stress

*Maladaptive coping is a counterproductive mechanism that includes the use of

alcohol and drugs.

1. Problem-solving or Instrumental coping focuses on approaches that tackle the problem to

reduces stress of a particular situations

2. Emotion-focused coping deals with nurturing the emotional health through the stressful
period.

3. Active coping strategies comprise the recognition of the stressor to lessen its adverse
consequences.

4. Avoidant coping strategies ignore the issue or deny the problem(alcohol intoxication, sleep
and isolation).

Coping Strategies

1. Time management requires planning a schedule ahead and sticking with it.

2. Sharing and talking about problems with someone---- a friend, a teacher, or family member
to relieve stress.

3. Using adrenaline-raised energy for simple task like cleaning the house or the car redirects
how the body reacts from stress.
4. Being at ease lying sitting down while emptying the mind with upsetting ideas, listening to
gentle music or imagining being at quite place can relieve stress.

5. Having a good laugh with friends or family, watching different movies, or going to funny
places after a stressful day.

Here are some coping strategies that you can adopt:

 Humor. Look at the funny side of a problem.“Positive reframing” is believe to relief small
flops.

 Seek Support. In the cause of stressful event, support from family members or friends keep
emotional health balance.

 Problem-solving. It is helpful mechanism that aims to pinpoint the source of the problem
and determine solutions. This is often helpful in work conditions.
 Relaxation. Unwinding events or calming skills help manage stress and enhance overall
coping.
 Physical Recreation. Regular exercise like yoga, meditation and muscle relaxation are
helpful in handling stress.

 Adjusting Expectation. Accepting different results of situations in life may help in adjusting
the stress associated with any given change or outcomes.

 Venting. An expressing-type of coping technique by voicing out strong sentiments with

friends or family.