Healthy lifestyles and noncommunicable diseases: Nutrition, the life‐course, and health promotion

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, targeted by Sustainable Development Goal 3.4, afflict millions of people and account for the highest global morbidity and mortality. Obesity is associated with noncommunicable diseases. Globally, diets have become sweeter, saltier with higher fat content, whereas physical activity has declined; which triggers the onset of obesity and noncommunicable diseases. Healthy nutrition and regular exercise are the foundations for healthy living and important for preventing noncommunicable diseases, in alignment with health promotion. The preconception, gestational, and lactational periods present windows for improving and optimizing progeny growth and development for better health outcomes. Malnutrition is a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases; therefore ingesting healthy nutritious food, over the life‐course, is critical for countering these global epidemics that have a more profound adverse impact on people from low‐ and middle‐income countries. To combat obesity and noncommunicable diseases, people's ownership of their health, government action, and private sector responsibility should be aligned and supported by global initiatives and enabled through partnerships and collaborations. Many noncommunicable diseases are avertable through health promotion strategies mainly directed at the maternal and child health lifecycle, by focusing on women of reproductive age (prior to and during pregnancy, and during lactation) and during infancy and childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and ageing. Healthy lifestyles support health promotion and disease prevention, which is cost‐effective for noncommunicable diseases. The global high burden of obesity and noncommunicable diseases remains a complex and prevalent challenge; therefore, the adoption of healthy lifestyles is critical to slow down their onset and exacerbation.

Temporal trends in the burden of non-communicable diseases in countries with the highest malaria burden, 1990–2019: Evaluating the double burden of non-communicable and communicable diseases in epidemiological transition

“…Also, research suggested that the onset of some NCDs is closely related to lifestyle habits [ 7 ]. Primary prevention-the adoption of healthy lifestyles is critical to slow down the onset and exacerbation of diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes mellitus [ 39 , 40 ]. Secondary prevention-early detection, diagnosis and treatment on the other hand, can improve symptoms, reduce mortality and disability, and prevent the recurrence of diseases, such as type I diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias [ 41 , 42 ].…”

Temporal Trends in the Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases in Countries with the Highest Malaria Burden, 1990-2019: Evaluating the Double Burden of Non-Communicable and Communicable Diseases in Epidemiological Transition

“…Also, the onset of some NCDs is closely related to lifestyle habits [4] . The adoption of healthy lifestyles is critical to slow down the onset and exacerbation of NCDs, such as chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes [34,35] . Mortality rates for many NCDs are now trending younger.…”

Time To Re-Think and Rebuild: Need to Minimize the Pill and Re-Emphasize the Role of Risk Factors Modification in Life Style Disorders

“…However, despite the proven advantages of these healthy lifestyle measures, only a limited proportion of people implement it in their life; rather than, the numbers are declining. 3 There exists an inadequate public awareness of the correlation between health and lifestyle. 4 Role of pharmacotherapy in treating LSDs is a debated and even controversial issue.…”