With the kind of money that is spent annually on drugs, it is no wonder more attention is being paid to preventative measures. There are a number of diseases that can be prevented by making the right lifestyle choices. The medical profession has identified a number of lifestyle diseases that drive up health care costs. Some of the more preventable diseases that lifestyles can lead to or worsen are:
Heart disease: Obesity is one of the leading causes of this illness, but smoking and high cholesterol foods can also play a part.Diabetes: This is sometimes caused by a problem with the pancreas, the organ that produces insulin. Some cases of diabetes however have been linked to poor eating habits and lack of exercise.Liver disease: Excessive drinking can over time do damage to the liver. Alcohol is known to affect liver function, preventing it from expelling waste from the body.Lung cancer: Despite the efforts of the medical community and nonprofit organizations, smoking continues to be a major problem. The majority of cases of lung cancer have been linked to smoking. Even non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke can been affected.
Various public health education programs have sought to tackle these issues head on. There are now many quit smoking aids on the market to help people who want to drop the habit. Sadly, obesity rates have continued to increase, leading to sharp rises in the number of strokes and heart attacks being reported. It has been suggested by the medical fraternity that lifestyle changes can reduce the prevalence of a number of common diseases and health conditions. Hopefully, more people will continue to heed this advice.