Should Health Care Providers Recommend A Vegan Diet For The Prevention Or Treatment Of Non Communicable Or Chronic Diseases

Seven in ten deaths in the United States, are attributable to chronic disease (“Leading Causes” 1). These diseases are not on account of bacteria or viruses, which could be treated with an appropriate prescription or vaccine. Chronic conditions are developed through unhealthy lifestyles and behaviors such as a lack of exercise, poor nutrition, poor sleeping habits, and substance use (e.g. tobacco). Consequently, seven in ten of every death can be prevented with changes in lifestyle. The CDC states that these conditions, “are among the most common, costly, and preventable of all health problems” (“Chronic Disease” 1). Although these conditions have clear and definite causes (knowing the exact reason and “cure” for them), they are becoming more prevalent rather than domesticated. According to Wu and Green, “Between 2000 and 2030 the number of Americans with chronic conditions will increase by 37 percent, an increase of 46 million people” (1). This increase comes with an increase in health care costs: the CDC reported that the U.S. spent three trillion dollars on health care in 2014 (“Health Expenditures” 1). 86% of these costs was associated with these conditions (“Prevention” 1). Despite there being a range of causes of why patients make these choices, one issue that may be less familiar to others is the lack of knowledge in preventative medicine among health care professionals. Current training standards are not adequately educating or equipping health care professionals

This year 76 million Baby Boomers in America are entering their fifties and sixties, yet this generation is not the only one suffering from diseases derived from an unhealthy diet. Advances in medicine have continued to preserve lives, but still researchers have not found a miracle that fully sustains the quality of everyday life. Overcrowding and neglect is the fate of patients seeking long-term medical attention if individuals continue to lack nutritional knowledge, and depend on the care of others to survive. Heart disease and diabetes type two are factors that lead to a life of dependency and make a significant contribution to the large population needing medical care. These specific diseases take years to develop and can last a life time. Acting to prevent them includes consuming an adequate diet and managing an active lifestyle. Prolonging physical health with the use of nutrition and ecercise can insure a longer, happier life as well as, alleviate the need for medical assistance for daily activities for those with diabetes and heart disease.

The most extraordinary statistic that you will read about chronic disease is that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that if Americans were to eliminate three behaviors – eating an unhealthful diet, inactivity and smoking – it would have the effect of erasing 85% of existing heart disease and strokes, 80% of type 2 diabetes and 40% of cancer.

When I was growing up I was taught how to hunt, fish and trap animals for food as well as being fed an omnivorous diet, but today I have found that I no longer need animals in my diet. The Vegetarian Times recently found that out of the 311 million people in the US, 7.3 million eat a vegetarian based diet and 22.8 million eat a vegetarian inclined diet. Over the past century people have begun looking into the health implications of plant based diets as a way of improving their health and increase their longevity. This research paper is intended

A non-communicable disease (NCD) is defined as a disease which is not infectious. Such diseases may result from genetic or lifestyle factors. Such diseases may result from genetic or lifestyle factors. Current evidence indicates that four types of NCDs (i.e. cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases) account for almost two third of all deaths globally, with 80 per cent of these deaths occurring in low-income and middle-income countries. NCDs are a leading threat to health and development. Yet, these diseases are preventable. By eliminating shared risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol, almost 80 per cent of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes and over a third of all cancers could be prevented. In addition, improved disease management can reduce morbidity, disability and death and contribute to better health outcomes. Overall, proven cost-effective strategies do exist to prevent and control this growing burden.

Improving the health conditions of the American population ensures the increased quality of life. People eat for various reasons with the fundamental reason being for survival purposes. However, the issue of eating to live and living to eat affects people in different manners as most people develop poor eating habits that affect the body’s nutritional intake and affects their health. Being healthy involves careful considerations of what one is eating and engaging in activities that contribute to better healthy lives that do not imply daily prescriptions or

The reduction of the amount of saturated fats from one’s diet improves health greatly for cardiovascular health. According to nursingdegree.com, ”Eating nuts and whole grains, while eliminating dairy products and meat, will improve… cardiovascular health.” When eliminating food that comes from animals doing so eliminates all dietary cholesterol from one’s diet. Vegan diets go to extreme lengths to prevent heart attack and stroke. Plant-based foods are high in fiber and according to nursingdegree.net, “A diet high in fiber…leads to healthier bowel movements.” While obtaining nutrition from vegan diets also prevent disease at the same time. For example, it is stated in nursingdegree.com,” Eating a diet consisting of whole grains, along with fresh fruits and vegetables, can greatly reduce…chances of colon cancer.”

I believe the two most important Dietary guidelines are Helping Americans Make Healthy Choices, and increasing our consumption of vegetables, fruits, and calcium, discussed in Chapter 4. If we continue to help Americans make healthy choices and make those choices visible, we might be able to get more people physically active. Increasing consumptions of vegetables, fruits, and calcium will reduce your risk of many chronic diseases, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. Calcium, fruits, and vegetables make your body stronger and maintain your body, without them your body becomes weak.

Fierro says, “1.7 million deaths or 70 percent of all deaths in the U.S. annually are due to chronic diseases with another 25 million Americans living with a chronic disease that significantly limits their daily activity” (10).With such startling figures and since so many chronic disease cases are preventable, it is imperative that lawmakers address tobacco use, lack of physical activity, and poor eating habits with proper legislation to encourage immediate adoption of healthier behaviors.

Based on this 2011 documentary featuring the numerous statistics and examples from physicians on their patients making changes to their health, showed the high improvements on their health after a few weeks on a plant-based diet. They showed not only the crucial medications and prescription drugs the patients were each taking, but they helped them create exponential changes to their cholesterol, weight, and health problems of their western diet that made it possible for them to no longer take them. This documentary captured the many risks people can get such as diabetes, heart disease, arteries of blood clotting, cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and much more in which costs the United States more than a million dollar each year. According

“Health is like money,” humorist Josh Billings once said. “We never have a true idea of its value until we lose it.” Though Billings did not live to see the twenty-first century, his musings are still relevant to adults and young children alike today. Yet the question remains for many Americans and other people worldwide: how may we maintain our health? The answer is quite simple: remember that what you eat, think, and do now will affect the life of your future self. I have realized this truth and am on the road to a healthy lifestyle through being mentally, physically, and internally healthy. Here is how.

Health Times strives to educate our readers about ways to live a long and healthy life! We are excited to present you with our latest issue covering Disease Prevention and Risk Reduction. Our contributors have written several articles detailing ways to prevent communicable diseases, to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases, and to increase personal safety at home and in the community. Our readers will benefit from the information and research included in this edition.

Healthcare and wellness are important to every American, business and to our federal government’s bottom line. Sharon (2010) stated, “Staying healthy reduces the demand for health care. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, medical care for persons with chronic disease accounts for 75% of the dollars spent as a nation on medical care. Today’s most serious and expensive health problems are caused, in large part, by poor lifestyle choices: tobacco use, diets high in fat and sugar, inadequate physical activity, and drug and alcohol use.”

discovered that only 10.8% of the respondents consume fruits and vegetables as recommended. Less than 50% of them engaged in vigorous exercise for at least 3days in the preceding week. Over 80% of them consume alcohol. All these did not agree with their perception of being role models for healthy lifestyle. They found out that those health practitioners with poor lifestyle behavior are less likely to adequately counsel their clients. They then concluded that lifestyle habits of physicians are short of recommended standard and this also reflects on how adequate they counsel their patients.1Similar findings were seen in the study of Bakhshi et al. conducted among registered nurses.2

Craig, W. J. (2009). Health effects of vegan diet. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89(5), 1627S-1633S. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.26736N