Small modifications to diet, exercise and other habits can have great returns on health.
Chief Medical Officer, International Health, Cigna Healthcare talks about lifestyle.
Emphasizing healthy diet, physical activity and tobacco control is at the center of UAE’s National Policy for Promoting Healthy Lifestyles and an important element of the We the UAE 2031 vision of a state-of-the-art healthcare system which supports healthy lifestyles. The determination of the Ministry of Health and Prevention to promote healthy lifestyles reflects an international consensus that a good lifestyle has the power to prevent and even reverse the most prevalent and costly chronic conditions.
The UAE’s national indicators (2020) for health performance include a male smoking rate of 15.7%, a child obesity rate of 17.3%, 11.8% of the population with diabetes, 26.8 cancers deaths per 100,000 and 84 deaths from cardiovascular disease per 100,000. All these indicators could be reduced with a wider adoption of healthy lifestyles.
Globally, of the 41 million deaths due to chronic disease each year, 30% can be attributed by lifestyle risk factors. Eight million to tobacco use, 1.8 million to excess salt/sodium intake, over 1.5 million to alcohol, and nearly a million to insufficient physical activity.
Dietary intervention and physical activity could reduce diabetes-related deaths by more than a million every year. Research shows that lifestyle treatments can reduce or reverse long-standing Type 2 Diabetes within just three months.
Other chronic conditions that can be significantly impacted by lifestyle modification include chronic kidney disease, progression from prodromal to manifest Parkinson’s disease, mental health conditions, autoimmune diseases, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
What is beautiful about lifestyle is it actually augments and strengthens our natural defense systems, thereby reducing the need for artificial or external remedies.
For people with hypertension (high blood pressure) – one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases – it’s been shown that lifestyle changes can reduce the required number and/or dose of blood pressure medications. One study found that six months after stopping these medications, only 29% of participants who lost weight and restricted their sodium intake required medication again. Conversely, 60% of participants who failed to adopt these changes did need further medication.
Two decades ago, when I was studying medicine, we never talked about stress in terms of lifestyle risk factors. It was always about exercise, diet, sleep, smoking, and alcohol.
Recent findings from the Cigna Healthcare Vitality Study have highlighted the alarming prevalence of stress in the UAE and KSA. The study revealed that stress levels in these regions are significantly higher, standing at 89% and 88% respectively, compared to a global average of 80%. This emphasizes the urgent need to address stress as a critical component of overall health and wellness in these populations.
If we’re stressed, we’re less likely to make healthy choices in diet and more unwilling to exercise or hang out with friends. Stress also increases tobacco, alcohol, and drug use. Even worse, chronic stress can overwhelm our mind and body, causing a number of physical health issues which raise our vulnerability to viral infections and life-threatening conditions, such as hypertension, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.
Physical activity changes our energy pattern and affects what we eat, the way we sleep, and sustainable weight management. Best of all – it does not need to involve Olympic-level athleticism or step-counts.
Adequate physical activity at the age of 50 and above can be life-changing, even if you have never done any before, because without it your body can quickly become frail. Muscle loss at this age becomes more prominent and undermines your strength, swiftness, and stamina, while at the same time you may develop osteoporosis or reduced balance. All these factors mean that without adequate exercise, events such as a fall can more easily result in a fracture, which can take longer to heal and result in further complications.
To slow muscle loss and boost bone health, you need to add protein-rich foods and necessary amounts of vitamins and minerals to your diet, as well as maintaining regular physical activity. This should include 30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day and two hours of exercise to help with strength, balance, and flexibility per week (such as yoga, tai chi, Pilates, and/or isometric weightlifting).
We’re creatures of habit, so developing healthy routines is among the most powerful tools we have to ensure healthier lifestyles.
From childhood onward, establishing good routines set us up for healthier behaviours – that is, dedicating time to eat, sleep, exercise, learn, and listen.
© Cigna Healthcare 2024
This article serves only as a reference and is intended for
informational purposes only. Nothing in this article constitutes
legal, tax, financial planning, health or medical advice including
diagnosis or treatment. Any reference to products or services
offered by Cigna Healthcare are available except where prohibited by
applicable law and subject to terms and conditions. Cigna Healthcare
have no involvement in, nor are we liable for, any decisions and/or
outcomes that are made or determined by FocusPoint International.