By Eric Hawley
In today’s modern world, people’s lifestyle is increasingly becoming unhealthy making health problems more common. It can also be argued that improvement in medical science has made it easy to diagnose health problems, thus making health Issues look common. Lack of regular exercise, unhealthy diet and high levels of stress are some of the most common health issues in modern world today. While most of these health problems are associated with people’s lifestyle, the repercussions can escalate and become serious medical problems. Here are five of the most common health issues today.
Overweight and Obesity
Studies show that regular exercise and staying physically fit can delay or prevent certain diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancers. Regular exercise and healthy diet can also improve mood and relieve depression. On the other hand, unhealthy diet, poor eating habits and lack of regular exercise can easily lead to overweight and obesity. Serious medical problems such as stroke, coronary heart disease, hypertension, respiratory problems, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis etc. are closely related to overweight and obesity.
Substance Abuse
Drugs and alcohol is a common problem today, and especially in youth and minors. While substance abuse is not mostly associated with seniors, self-medication in senior citizens through use of legal and illegal drugs and alcoholism can lead to serious health issues. In addition, people with diseases that affect the brain can unknowingly mix medications leading drug abuse. Tobacco use (now called “Tobacco dependence disease”) is one of the major causes of ailments and premature deaths around the world.
Mental Problems
Life challenges such as unemployment, abusive relationships, loneliness and work-related stress are common causes of depression and mental problems. Prolonged illnesses such as diabetes and renal failure are common triggers of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease which can further lead to depression (or even suicide) in the elderly people.
Major Diseases
Diseases such as cancer, diabetes, HIVAIDS, heart diseases, kidney diseases etc. are some of the major health concerns of the 21st century. Genetics and lifestyle choices such as smoking, alcoholism and obesity are known risk factors for major diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart diseases. Studies have shown that modernization and environmental issues can lead to increased cases of cancer due to exposure to radiation and too much sun.
Environmental Issues
As countries strive towards self-sustaining economies, the environment has been left without proper care leading to major environmental issues such as pollution, global warming and climate change. Studies show that people in developing countries (especially in informal settlements) are more likely to suffer from environmental related problems such as lack of clean water, poor hygiene and related diseases.
