Health-related problems

Heatlh-related diseases


What are the health-related diseases mostly cause by eating a unbalanced diet or eating unhealthily,
 Heart Disease
 Diabetes
 Hypertension
 Obesity
 Osteoporosis

As adults grow older, they have higher chance of getting these diet-related diseases especially obesity .


What is Hypertension?

Hypertension is a diseases that develops high blood pressure. Essential or primary hypertension means that no medical cause can be found to explain the raised blood pressure and represents about 90-95% of hypertension cases. Secondary hypertension indicates that the high blood pressure is a result of (i.e., secondary to) another condition, such as kidney disease or tumours (adrenal adenoma or pheochromocytoma).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertension 14/4/10


What is Obesity?

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity 14/4/10

What is Osteoporosis?

It is the primary cause of “shrinkage” in stature and bone fractures among the elderly. Starting in the 20’s for women and somewhat later for men, calcium is gradually lost from the bones. It results in a shortening and weakening of the long bones and greatly increases a woman’s susceptibility to fractures. This loss of calcium accelerates in women after menopause. Past 50 years, 25 to 30% of women and 15 to 20% of men suffer a shortening of the spinal column as a result of osteoporosis.

http://www.four-h.purdue.edu/foods/Diet-Related%20Diseases.htm 14/4/10

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is classed as a metabolism disorder. Metabolism refers to the way our bodies use digested food for energy and growth. Most of what we eat is broken down into glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar in the blood - it is the principal source of fuel for our bodies.

When our food is digested the glucose makes its way into our bloodstream. Our cells use the glucose for energy and growth. However, glucose cannot enter our cells without insulin being present - insulin makes it possible for our cells to take in the glucose.

Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas. After eating, the pancreas automatically releases an adequate quantity of insulin to move the glucose present in our blood into the cells, and lowers the blood sugar level.

A person with diabetes has a condition in which the quantity of glucose in the blood is too elevated (hyperglycemia). This is because the body either does not produce enough insulin, produces no insulin, or has cells that do not respond properly to the insulin the pancreas produces. This results in too much glucose building up in the blood. This excess blood glucose eventually passes out of the body in urine. So, even though the blood has plenty of glucose, the cells are not getting it for their essential energy and growth requirements.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/diabetes/whatisdiabetes.php 20 April 2010

What Is Heart Disease?

Heart disease refers to the failure of the coronary circulation to supply adequate circulation to cardiac muscle and surrounding tissue. Heart disease is most commonly equated with Coronary artery disease although coronary heart disease can be due to other causes, such as coronary vasospasm.

Coronary artery disease is a disease of the artery caused by the accumulation of atheromatous plaques within the walls of the arteries that supply the myocardium. Angina pectoris (chest pain) and myocardial infarction (heart attack) are symptoms of and conditions caused by heart disease.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_Disease 21 April 2010