Preventing The Onset Of Disease

This article was to examine how the US government uses dietary guidelines for Americans and how the guidelines were supposed to help us eat and stay healthy. Diet and chronic diseases are sometimes connected. For example, it is proven that nutrient deficiency disease like scurvy can be cured by consuming the lost nutrients. However, it is also shown that some nutrient exposure can cause chronic illness such as energy, fats, sodium dietary fiber, and food exposures, etc. making it difficult to set dietary guidelines. In addition to some nutrient causing chronic diseases, nondietary factors such as stress, lack of exercise, smoking and other environmental factors are linked to causing chronic illnesses (Slavin, 2012).

Throughout the Dietary Guideline for Americans, 2010, emphasizes are fixed on concerns about American’s health. In this day and age, the American people as a nation are experiencing a pandemic of overweight and obesity which is linked to poor diet and lack of physical activity resulting in illness that can become terminal. Unfortunately, this has affected many of our love ones first hand. However, such problems can be corrected through developing better eating habits and lifestyles. Following the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 is a start. It is significant in aiding Americans to live longer and healthier lives.

Over the past few decades, deficiencies of essential nutrients have drastically diminished, many infectious diseases have been reduced, and most of the U.S. population can now foresee a long and productive life. In the meantime, rates of chronic diseases hefty portion of which are identified with poor quality diet and physical activity has increased. About half of all American grown-up have one or more preventable, diet-related chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes, and overweight and obesity.

As per Healthy People 2020 most Americans do not consume healthy diets and are not physically active at levels needed to maintain proper health. As a result of these behaviors the nation has experienced a dramatic increase in obesity in the U.S with 1 in 3 adults (34.0%) and 1 and 6 children and adolescents (16.2%) are obese. In addition to grave health consequences of being overweight and obese. It significantly raises medical cost and causes a great burden on the U.S medical care delivery system ("Healthy People 2020," 2014, p. 1).

With growing population it is normal to expect this change to affect environmental and health nationwide. By making ourselves aware of these issues allows preparations and changes to decrease chances of diseases and viruses. The biggest environmental concern is obesity because in the last two decades Americans have witnessed noticeable changes in the average body formation by a 10 percent increase. This has become the number one nutritional concern on the public health agenda. Although many do not understand how this obesity epidemic began but speculation is contributed to the environmental changes. Many believe the lack of exercise versus consumption of food is the most logical reason for obesity. The concern of fast food has also remained in the spotlight for unhealthy, greasy, high calorie food. Obesity can contribute to other health concerns such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. With growing population and the increase in obesity finding a solution for this concern is important.

Individuals of higher income levels often have private insurance that allows them to see a physician on a regular basis. These individuals are able to prevent many diseases before they exacerbate. They often eat low fat diets or plant based diets. They are educated on their nutritional health and often make better choices when choosing the different types foods to eat. Due to their income, they can afford to eat healthy food and make healthy food choices. Even though these individuals may be predisposed to certain diseases, their diets prevent them from becoming prevalent in their lives. Due to the individual’s socioeconomic status they make enough money that they don’t stress about the necessities in life. These individuals live in areas such as Roswell, Johns Creek. Alpharetta, Buckhead, Kennesaw, and Stockbridge. Individuals of a poor economic status have limited access to healthcare. These individuals often have Medicaid, Medicare, or no health insurance at all. They often eat diets that are high in fat. Individuals of poor economic status aren’t often educated about eating healthy. They often eat unhealthy because it is too expensive to eat healthy. These individuals often receive government subsidiaries such as WIC and SNAP benefits for themselves and their children. There aren’t many healthy food stores if any at all in these neighborhoods. Stores such as Whole Foods, Sprout, and Trader Joe’s aren’t located in poverty stricken communities because the individuals can’t afford the prices. It is a disadvantage that the grocery chains in the neighborhood don’t offer the resident a healthier option. Individuals of poor economic status often fight chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and often cancer. They often live sedentary lifestyles that contribute to these diseases. They eat diets that are high in red meats one that contributes to

Primary prevention goals to prevent disease before it occur. For example counselling the public to the benefits of lifestyle changes such as high fiber diet, educate public to the importance of stop smoking and exercise regularly in preventing colorectal cancers .

The Healthy People 2020 organization is generates objectives that are science-based up to ten years to improve the health of Americans (). The Healthy People 2020 monitors the American’s health so that they can encourage collaboration amongst communities, inspire individuals to take action in their health decisions, and determine the results of prevention actions (). The overall goal of the Healthy People 2020 organization is, “attain high-quality, longer lives free of preventable disease, disability, injury, and premature death” (para. 5). The Healthy People 2020 website has several topics and objectives to gain knowledge of. Two of the topics that will be discussed are diabetes, heart disease and stroke, as well as each topics risk factors in relation to its objectives.

Diabetes (DM) is one the many initiatives that Healthy People 2020 have been focusing on to reduce this disease morbidity and mortality rates throughout the communities. In the United States alone, the number of individuals diagnosed with diabetes has increased from 1.5 million in 1958 to 25.8 million in 2011. The Center for Disease and prevention (CDC) also estimates in the year 2011, 79 million people age 20 and over were noted to have pre-diabetes, in which the blood sugar was higher than normal levels, however, have not reached the level for a diagnosis of DM. Eleven percent of those individuals with pre-diabetic readings of raised blood glucose will progress in full blown diabetes a matter of three years. Healthy People 2020 have used evidence –based practices to aid in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Evidence have shown by simply modifying one’s lifestyle such regular exercising and healthy eating have been recognized to effectively prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in high-risk persons. Case in point, the Diabetes Prevention Program research trial revealed that the utilization of lifestyle interferences had its utmost impact in elderly adults and was also effective in all racial groups.

Type two diabetes is preventable with the right kind of lifestyle, but if it is not prevented the only one to blame is the individual because it is self done. Obesity and type two diabetes are two ilnesses that are done to ones self through the acts of not eating a healthy stable diet and not exercising on a regular basis. If the United States did not promote so much processed foods the american families probably would not be in this epidemic. Unfortunaley, this epidemic is spreading worldwide, it will continue to have this domino effect if individuals are not more aware as to what they are eating. Khanna goes on to explain how when this type of diet is used in different parts of the world such as in Japan there becomes an apparent difference in their health. She notes that there is a decline in their health. She also states that “in the West, we have far too many additives in our foods, high fructose corn syrup, things we cannot even pronounce in our foods."According to the authors of the Harvard University of Public Health Web Team, Deane Eastwood, Christopher Ternan, and Jacob Yerdon, the Western diet plays one of the largest roles in obesity. Obesity has become a growing epidemic in every age group due to the toxic environments that have prevented many Americans from healthy living. We are constantly surrounded by processed foods, whether it be in schools or work areas, which makes it difficult for individuals to

While not the leading cause of death (mortality), there is a high prevalence of both obesity and diabetes in the population, justifying the selection of these health issues to be addressed in the

All Americans are at risk of developing obesity, with an obesity rate of 36.5% of the population (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). The increase of obesity in the United States has led to the development of other costly comorbidities, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and even some types of cancer, and therefore should be avoided at all costs (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Although all groups are at risk for obesity, vulnerable populations such as low-income children, face

C. Conclusion - The data provides proof that obesity has only increased over the past couple of decades. It shows that there hasn’t been any fluctuations in both adult and childhood obesity. The best practices for the disease/condition would be to understand how different foods affect different body types. It is my belief that the human body is unique to each individual. Foods and their effects on the body needs to be further researched and understood. There are different types of bodies and each body many require special attention when it comes to diet and nutrition. The goal of treatment will be to gain more knowledge of how various herbs, vitamins, and foods affect individuals differently how to incorporate these methods successfully. A clinical care model will include a comprehensive understanding of common foods available to the general public, how often the foods are purchased, and the effects that they have on the general public. Healthier foods will then be integrated that are proven to reduce weight gain and obesity. The clinical model will prove that when lower calorie healthy plant based foods and vegetables are integrated into the diet weight loss is inevitable.

Obesity in the United States has more than doubled over the past four decades. Prevalence of obesity cause many other disease such as diabetes and heart issues. Obesity can be described as a health condition of a person or people of a population that have excess body fat. Diabetes is a disease related to high level of blood sugar in the blood. Obesity and diabetes are among disease that have direct relationship with each other. As obesity increase in a population, diabetes increases too. Jennifer B.Marks, Professor of Medicine at the University of Miami Miller researches in “Obesity in America: it’s getting worse”, Roger Z. Joanne a public health provider in the Obesity Action Coalition group researches in “Obesity and type 2 Diabetes”, Eckel H. Robert, Professor of Medicine in Colorado University researches in “Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: What can be Unified and What needs to Be Individualized”, and Obesity Society group researches in “Your weight and diabetes”, mention that while obesity and diabetes have different definition in medical process, the reason why people become obese and diabetic as well as how to prevent them is same. Eating larger portion size than what the body needs , lack of physical activity, and putting foods without good quality in diet are the major reasons that people become obese.

A statistic from World Health Organization indicates that 60% of deaths are caused by chronic diseases. This is related to the increase of affluence and sedentary lifestyle. If we continue living this lifestyle, it will be easier for us to get the diseases. In this fast pace lifestyle, we are always on the go. We usually choose to eat food without thinking much about the food content but just thinking about filling our stomach. Apart from food consumption factor, family history and polluted surroundings are also the major causes of the chronic diseases. However, there are some key chronic disease prevention steps we can take such as we should practice a healthy lifestyle, perform regular health check and reduce the risk factor from chronic