Problem
Lifestyle diseases
Experimental visualization of narrower problems
Other Names:
Diseases of affluence Nature:
Human activities strongly influence a population's states of health and disease. For example, an energy-rich food supply combined with a plethora of energy saving devices, from cars to TV lounges, appears to be responsible for much of the increase in obesity which affluent societies have experienced in the past half century.
Incidence:
According to the World Health Organization 70 to 80% of all deaths in the industrialized world and 40 to 50% in developing countries are so-called "affluent society" diseases, attributable to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke or lung cancer. These diseases are caused by unhealthy diet, lack of exercise and smoking.
Broader Problems:
Megacity crisisPathologies of civilizationNon-communicable diseaseHuman disease and disabilityPreventable diseaseDisease Narrower Problems:
Over-eatingDiabetesUrolithiasisOsteoporosisTobacco smokingMalignant neoplasmsEssential hypertensionCoronary heart diseaseSquamous cell carcinomaCerebrovascular accidentsReemerging infectious diseasesTravellers' enhanced risk of diseaseMetabolic syndromeChronic illness Related Problems:
OverdoseLiving aloneMental depressionCompensatory lifestylesDisharmonies of the bodyCultural bias in medicineEnvironmentally induced diseasesIgnorance of health and hygieneDifferences in disease incidence among countriesDisharmony of lifestyle as a factor in ill health Aggravates:
Health inequalities Strategies:
Recovering from Western CivilizationReducing diseases of affluenceStudying lifestyle diseases References:
Trowell, H C and Burkitt, D P: Western Diseases: their emergence and preventionSymons, Ronald C and Hughes, Charles C: Culture-Bound Syndromes: folk illnesses of psychiatric and anthropological interest Problem Type:
D: Detailed problems Subject(s):
Experiential activity Pathology
Value redistribution
Date of last update
25.10.2017 – 19:15 CEST