Diseases of affluence Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions or the control of such assets. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem. An individual, community, region or country that possesses an abundance of such possessions or resources is known as wealthy are those diseases which are thought to be a result of increasing wealth in a society, in contrast to diseases of poverty Diseases of poverty are diseases that are more prevalent among the poor than among wealthier people. In many cases poverty is the leading risk factor for such diseases, and in some cases disease can cause poverty. These diseases are in contrast to diseases of affluence which are diseases thought to be a result of increasing wealth in a society which result from impoverishment.
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Examples
Examples of diseases of affluence include: type 2 diabetes Diabetes mellitus type 2 or type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus , or adult-onset diabetes) is a disorder that is characterized by high blood glucose in the context of insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. While it is often initially managed by increasing exercise and dietary modification,, coronary heart disease Coronary disease refers to the failure of coronary circulation to supply adequate circulation to cardiac muscle and surrounding tissue. It is already the most common form of disease affecting the heart and an important cause of premature death in Europe, the Baltic states, Russia, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. It has been, cerebrovascular disease Cerebrovascular disease is a group of brain dysfunctions related to disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain. Hypertension is the most important cause; it damages the blood vessel lining, endothelium, exposing the underlying collagen where platelets aggregate to initiate a repairing process which is not always complete and perfect, peripheral vascular disease Peripheral vascular disease , also known as peripheral artery disease (PAD) or peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD), includes all diseases caused by the obstruction of large arteries in the arms and legs. PVD can result from atherosclerosis, inflammatory processes leading to stenosis, an embolism or thrombus formation. It causes either acute, obesity Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. Body mass index , a measurement which compares weight and height, defines people as overweight (pre-obese) when their BMI is between 25 kg/m2 and 30, certain forms of cancer Cancer /ˈkænsə/ ( listen) (medical term: malignant neoplasm) is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth (division beyond the normal limits), invasion (intrusion on and destruction of adjacent tissues), and sometimes metastasis (spread to other locations in the body via lymph or blood). These three malignant, asthma Asthma is characterized by a predisposition to chronic inflammation of the lungs in which the airways are reversibly narrowed. Asthma affects 7% of the population of the United States, 6.5% of British people and a total of 300 million worldwide. During asthma attacks (exacerbations of asthma), the smooth muscle cells in the bronchi constrict, the, alcoholism Alcoholism has multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions. In common and historic usage, alcoholism is any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, despite health problems and negative social consequences. Modern medical definitions describe alcoholism as a disease and addiction which results in a persistent, allergies Allergy is a disorder of the immune system often also referred to as atopy. Allergic reactions occur to normally harmless environmental substances known as allergens; these reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid. Strictly, allergy is one of four forms of hypersensitivity and is called type I hypersensitivity. It is characterized by and depression Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. The term "major depressive disorder" was selected by the American Psychiatric Association to designate this symptom cluster as a mood disorder in[1], as well as a major range of other psychiatric illnesses.[citation needed]
These diseases are categorized as non-communicable diseases, whereas the diseases of poverty tend to be largely communicable either through infection, inadequate safety or environmental health regulations, or poor hygiene.
Diseases of affluence are predicted to become more prevalent as starvation and diseases of poverty decline, and as longevity increases.
Possible causes of the diseases of affluence
Factors associated with the increase of these illnesses appear to be, paradoxically, things which many people would regard as improvements in their lives. They include:
- Less strenuous physical exercise, often through increased use of a car
- Easy accessibility in society to large amounts of low-cost food (relative to the much-lower caloric food availability in a subsistence economy A subsistence economy is an economy in which enough food is grown, hunted or gathered to provide for the people. A surplus is grown only if a community desires or needs to trade with neighboring communities)
- More food generally, with much less physical exertion expended to obtain a moderate amount of food
- More high fat and high sugar foods in the diet are common in the affluent developed economies of the late-twentieth century
- Higher consumption of meat and dairy products
- More foods which are processed, cooked, and commercially provided (rather than seasonal, fresh foods prepared locally at time of eating)[2]
- Increased leisure time
- Prolonged periods of inactivity
- Greater use of alcohol and tobacco
- Longer life-spans
- Reduced exposure to infectious agents throughout life
See also
- Health At the time of the creation of the World Health Organization , in 1948, health was defined as being "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity"
- Exercise Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health. It is performed for many different reasons. These include strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance and for enjoyment. Frequent and regular physical exercise boosts the immune system,
- Nutrition Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary (in the form of food) to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet
- China Project The China Project is a study comparing the diets, lifestyle and disease characteristics of populations of 65 rural counties in China in the 1970s and 1980s. The study only compared the prevalence of disease characteristics. It did not evaluate all causes of death, such as accidents
- Urbanisation Urbanization is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. Urbanization is also defined by the United Nations as movement of people from rural to urban areas with population growth equating to urban migration. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008
- Westernization Westernisation or occidentalisation or Westernization is a process whereby societies come under or adopt the Western culture in such matters as industry, technology, law, politics, economics, lifestyle, diet, language, alphabet, religion, philosophy, values. Westernisation has been a pervasive and accelerating influence across the world in the
- Diseases of poverty Diseases of poverty are diseases that are more prevalent among the poor than among wealthier people. In many cases poverty is the leading risk factor for such diseases, and in some cases disease can cause poverty. These diseases are in contrast to diseases of affluence which are diseases thought to be a result of increasing wealth in a society
References
| This article's citation style may be unclear. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking. (September 2009) |
| This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be and removed. (June 2006) |
- ^ The culture of affluence: psychological costs of m...[Child Dev. 2003 Nov-Dec] - PubMed Result
- ^ 15-year study links fast food to obesity | Society | The Guardian
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Categories: Diseases and disorders Categories: Health | Causes of death | Medicine | Medical conditions related to obesity
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who understand the basic science of nutrition and medicine and the message that I am most interested in namely the comprehensiveness of the nutrition effect on health and disease VIP The China Study focuses on the difference between diseases of affluence and diseases of poverty What are the principal differences Could you give us examples of diseases in each
