Lifestyle disorders in human beings

The old adage 'health is wealth' applies directly here: modern lifestyle changes have introduced many emerging medical conditions that reduce human longevity. Lifestyle disorders arise from habits such as smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, high-fat diets, insufficient exercise, and generally sedentary living.

The WHO has warned of a slow-moving public-health disaster driven by lifestyle-linked non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and lung disease — with millions, not merely thousands, of people in the 30–60 age group dying every year because of them. Supporting facts include: cardiovascular disease linked to lifestyle causes about 31 percent of global deaths; a sedentary lifestyle also causes vitamin deficiencies (e.g. vitamin D), leading to fatigue, back pain, depression, bone loss and muscle pain; lifestyle disorders bring social isolation, worsening age-related problems; high-calorie, carbohydrate- and fat-rich junk food drives obesity and early health issues; low-fibre processed and packaged food causes constipation; and stress-linked irritable bowel syndrome causes stomach discomfort and disrupted bowel movements. …