Physical Activity And Its Effects On The Health Condition Of Diabetes, Obesity, And Type II Diabetes Essay

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States, causing about 610,000 deaths yearly (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Cardiovascular disease is defined as a group of disorders damaging the heart and blood vessels, usually involving the blockage of vessels, which in turn harm the heart (WHO, 2015). A 2011 American Heart Association statement predicted that without intervention, 40% of United States adults will have at least one form of Cardiovascular disease by 2030. A large portion of these deaths by cardiovascular disease is due to the sedentary population. To better prevent cardiovascular disease, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee stated that adults should complete about 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity weekly (Barry, Blair, Church, Hooker, Sui, Warren, 2010). Research has shown that meeting these recommendations is linked with lower cardiovascular disease risk, as well as reduced risk of mortality. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that only about 20.3% of Americans meet these guidelines. These statistics show that the majority of the United States population does not get nearly the amount of physical activity they need. However, even though many people are not doing the recommended amount of physical activity, this may not mean that they are living a sedentary life. Living a sedentary lifestyle is

Physical activity is defined as an individual not obtaining the recommended 150 minutes per week. engaging in moderate physical activity is very important, if the recommended time that should be spend on excersie per week is not achieved it can increase the risks of chronic diseases such as Heath disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. Physicals inactivity also increases biomedical determinants such as body weight leading to obesity, high blood pressure and blood cholesterol which have a negative effects on an individual's well being. According to AIHW, 2012, 60% of Australians over 15 did not undertake in sufficient physical activity. Getting the required 150 minutes a week or more is a great protective factor which will decrease the ricks of various chronic diseases and also provides other benefits such as reducing body weight and improving mental

* Physical activities: Physical activities help in a number of ways for smooth functioning of the body. Simple exercises like walking briskly may delay and prevent the onset of diabetes. Physical activities are also required for better management of diabetes if a person already has diabetes. Make sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise. Start slowly then work up to your goal. Stay motivated by working out with a friend. Keep an exercise log so you can see your progress.

According to Healthy People 2020, “The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAG) released in 2008, was the first-ever publication of national guidelines for physical activity. The physical activity topics and objectives for Healthy People 2020 reflect the strong state of the science supporting the health benefits of regular physical activity among youth and adults, as identified in the PAG”, (United States Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], Healthy People 2020, 2016).

Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are a growing problem around the world today. Not only do diseases such as diabetes and heart disease affect individuals and their lifestyles, they also affect the economy, politics, education and the professional work environment. 20-26% of individuals in the United States live with heart disease, and obesity and high blood pressure compose the greatest factors for developing this disease [20]. Studies have shown a direct correlation between the amount of sedentary time and cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk, regardless of baseline measurements [20]. Thus, increase in physical activity will decrease cardiometabolic risk factors [8]. Several studies indicate a positive correlation between physical activity and decreased cardiometabolic risk markers [2,4,11,16]. However, we now know that an individual who is getting the recommended physical activity per day can still have a large amount of sedentary time.

Insufficient physical activity is one the leading risk factors for global mortality. Physical activity not only contributes to wellbeing, it is essential for good health. Increasing physical activity levels can help prevent or manage many conditions and diseases; this includes coronary heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and obesity along with improving mental health. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), physical activity is any bodily movement by muscles that requires energy expenditure.

As mentioned previously, exercise is seen as one of the cornerstones of a healthy life. A review of 86 scientific papers concerning exercise benefits in school age children, conducted by Janssen and Leblanc, found that children aged 15-17 “should accumulate an average of at least 60 minutes per day and up to several hours of at least moderate intensity physical activity”(Janssen and Leblanc, 1). In fact, even a more modest level of activity would be sufficient in battling health risks, such as

Globally, around 31% of adults aged 15 and over were insufficiently active in 2008 (men 28% and women 34%). Approximately 3.2 million deaths each year are attributable to insufficient physical activity (WHO, 2013). Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that require energy expenditure (WHO, 2013). Physical inactivity is estimated to be the main cause for approximately 27% of those who have diabetes (WHO, 2013). In order to globally take control over this worldwide epidemic of type 2 diabetes, physical activity needs to become a daily activity in each and everyone’s lives. Physical activity is extremely important as it helps keep blood glucose, blood pressure, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides in check. It helps lower the risks of type 2 diabetes (WHO, 2013).

For example, increasing calorie intake increases body weight indicating a positive relationship. A negative correlation where the individual physical activity increases, the body weight decreases. A combination of a healthy eating plan, weight loss, and sufficient aerobic physical activity can help improve abnormal lipids and high blood pressure, hence, delaying and reducing the complications of diabetes. A successful example of prevention can be achieved via education to increase knowledge of diabetes risk factors and opening a fitness center in the community. As diabetes prevalence continues to rise, so does the cost of medical care. Therefore, exercise and proper nutrition are the cornerstones of prevention and treatment of

Over the last 30-40 years, the amount and intensity of exercise has gradually declined. Few children in the United States have actually met the recommended “sixty minutes of vigorous exercise” per day (Institute of Medicine, 2013). Although most states and districts have policies pertaining to physical education, these programs lack reinforcement and are often considered weak. Physical education has slowly declined throughout the years, and the the purpose of encouraging students to make physical activity part of their daily lifestyle has been lost. Recent research from Cornell University has found that the average high school gym class consists of students being active for an average of only sixteen minutes! This is nowhere near the recommended sixty minutes of physical exercise. Physical education has been pushed to the side while academics have been prioritised. P.E. classes have become overlooked by society as a whole. Students simply see it as a courses used only for socializing, or to avoid academic courses such as Algebra, Biology, and History. While teachers no longer encourage students to be active, this should not be the path in which we take physical education. The importance of exercise and physical activity goes beyond the classroom with is proven benefits in memory, cognition and attention which are skills that can be used for daily life activities. In recent times, many programs are popping up across the country to emphasize the importance of being active!

4. Haskell WL, Lee IM, Pate RR, et al. Physical activity and public health: updated recommendation for adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007; 39(8):1423-34. Abstract available at:

Many people suffer from type 2 diabetes, a type of metabolic disease (Curry et al., 2015; Hawley & Gibala, 2012). The prevalence of this disease has been increasing; one reason for this increase could be increased consumption of food as well as decreased prevalence of physical activity (Hawley & Gibala, 2012). Patients with type 2 diabetes are not able to metabolise glucose properly (Curry et al., 2015). Type 2 diabetes can cause patients to be very thirsty, excessively weary, and to experience a broad variety of other symptoms (Tovi & Engfeldt, 1998). It is often treated with insulin in order to help the body metabolise glucose (Tovi & Engfeldt, 1998). However, taking insulin can result in weight gain (Tovi & Engfeldt, 1998). Fat of the abdomen can be an indicator of the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease in an individual with type 2 diabetes, which is heavily correlated with type 2 diabetes (Siren, Eriksson, & Vanhanen, 2012). In terms of lifestyle choices, type 2 diabetes patients are often told to focus on diet, but are also encouraged to increase frequency of physical activity (Alvarez et al., 2016; Hawley & Gibala, 2012). Physical activity has been shown to decrease the amount of deaths resulting from diabetes related causes (Church et al., 2004). Increased physical activity has been shown to help glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes (Curry et al., 2015). People who suffer

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the recommended amount of physical activity is thirty minutes per day, and many adults do not meet this minimum.6 In the past, rates of cardiovascular disease were high, as the rates of smoking were higher. As smoking is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, such as COPD, as rates of smoking fall, so will rates of cardiovascular disease. As more and more adults and children begin to realize the importance of cardiovascular exercise and avoiding cigarettes, the rate of these diseases can be expected to fall further. However, less than 30% of high school students reach the recommended amount of physical activity needed, and further intervention is therefore

Today, millions of new people become affected by type 2 diabetes every year. Diabetes ranks seventh among the leading causes of death in the United States and is causes more deaths than breast cancer and AIDS combined. Most people don't know how deadly this disease is. Weight loss is a primary goal towards preventing the disease. Therefore, almost every day companies introduce new medicines, pills, and diet plans that promise weight loss. These techniques are not always effective and they can be extremely expensive. However, there is an inexpensive old stand-by called “exercise” that has been proven over and over to reduce and control weight. Exercise is the most offered suggestion by doctors to prevent adult onset diabetes. People have to

What was once thought to be found only among adults has become one of the most common chronic diseases among children in the United States. Ordinarily, when diabetes strikes during childhood it is assumed to be type 1. The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study began in 2000 and has provided the most comprehensive estimates of the prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes among youth less than 20 years of age in the US (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that annually, an estimated 18,436 youth are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and 5,089 youth are diagnosed with type 2 among youth. In the last two decades, type 2 diabetes, has been reported among U.S. children and adolescents with increasing frequency. Disease researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the prediction that one in three children born in the United States in 2000 will likely develop type 2 diabetes sometime in their lifetime unless they get more exercise and improve their diets, particularly for Latino children (CDC, 2014). Without changes in diet and exercise, their odds of developing diabetes as they grow older was about 50-50.