Physical Activity – Page 2 - 5
Alcohol – Page 6 - 9
Smoking – Page 10 - 12
Stress – Page
Diet – Page
What is physical activity?
Physical activity is any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that result in an expenditure of energy.
Physical Activity Guidelines
It is recommended that an average adult perform at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise on five days within a week or 40-60 minutes for more significant benefits. This is not a huge amount of time considering that they’re 1440 minutes in a day.
Types of Exercise
- Walking (46%)
- Keeping Fit/ Aerobic and Dance e.g. yoga (22%)
- Cue Sports (19%)
- Cycling (17%)
- Swimming (3%)
As you can see the word ‘exercise’ doesn’t mean the thought of running for hours on end on a treadmill in fact it’s the opposite where moderate exercise can easily provide the desired effects.
Regular Exercise Can….
- Increase levels of HDL
- Lower high blood pressure
- Improve body composition
- Promote healthy blood sugar levels
- Promote bone density
- Boost immune system
Risks of Not Enough PA
Cardiovascular Disease
- Causes over 200,000 deaths a year and accounts for 39% of all deaths
- It is attributable to coronary heart disease (CHD) and about a third to a stroke
Forms of Cardiovascular Disease
Arteriosclerosis – Accumulation of fatty materials with the arterial walls caused by the oxidation of LDL (low density lipoproteins)
Hypertension – High blood pressure
Coronary Heart Disease – Narrowing in coronary arteries
Angina – A pain in the chest as a result of an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart
Myocardial Infection – Heart attack caused by a part of the brain muscles dying
Stroke – Interruption of blood supply to the brain
Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Diseases
- Lowers this risks of CD’s
- 2002 World Health report estimates that 3% of all disease burdens in developed countries are caused by a lack of physical activity
- Over 20% of CHD and 10% of strokes in developed countries are due to a lack of physical activity
- The relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular diseases are strong
Blood Pressure
- Caused by a lack of physical activity and fatty foods
- Leads to a poor emotional state
- It is a minor effect before leading up to strokes, heart failure, heart attacks, gland disorders, dehydration and angina
- High blood pressure – systolic Low – Diastolic
- Physical Activity lowers blood pressure (Resistance and aerobic exercise)
Cancer
- Caused by cells in the body that mutate
- It leads to fast cell division and growth
- Cancer caused the deaths of 385 of adults
- Physical exercise reduces the risk of cancer (The effect is greater with more vigorous exercise. Chao, 2004)
- PA gives 30-40% reduction in breast cancer
- PA reduces the risk of prostate cancer by 10-30%
Obesity
- Caused by a lack of PA as well as genes and diet
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The classification of obese is a BMI over 30
- Is one of the first steps to heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, arthritis and breathing problems
- It is an imbalance of energy input to output
- Leads to 300,000 deaths a year
Risks of Too Much PA
Too much exercise can be harmful.
The body part exercised needs at least a day of rest, without proper rest, the chance of stroke or other circulation problems increases, and muscle tissue may develop slowly.
Over-exercising induces serious performance loss.
Unaccustomed overexertion of muscles leads to rhabdomyolysis (damage to muscle).
Another danger is overtraining in which the intensity or volume of training exceeds the body's capacity to recover.
Stopping excessive exercise suddenly can also create a change in mood. Feelings of depression and agitation can occur when withdrawal from the natural endorphins produced by exercise occurs.
Too much exercise can also cause a female to miss her period, a symptom known as amenorrhea
What is Alcohol?
An intoxicating by-product of fermentation, which is caused by yeast acting on the sugars in the malt. Alcohol content is expressed as a percentage of volume or weight.
Alcohol Guidelines
The Department of Health advises that men should not regularly drink more than 3 - 4 units of alcohol per day, and women should not regularly drink more than 2 - 3 units of alcohol per day. After an episode of heavy drinking it is advisable to refrain from drinking for 48 hours to allow your body to recover. This is a short term measure.
Types of Alcohol
A pint of ordinary strength lager (Carling Black Label, Fosters) - 2 units
A pint of strong lager (Stella Artois, Kronenbourg 1664) - 3 units
A pint of ordinary bitter (John Smith's, Boddingtons) - 2 units
A pint of best bitter (Fuller's ESB, Young's Special) - 3 units
A pint of ordinary strength cider (Woodpecker) - 2 units
A pint of strong cider (Dry Blackthorn, Strongbow) - 3 units
A 175ml glass of red or white wine - around 2 units
A pub measure of spirits - 1 unit
An alcopop (eg Smirnoff Ice, Bacardi Breezer, WKD, Reef) - around 1.5 units
Immediate Affects of Alcohol are….
- Muscular Incoordination
- Blurred Vision
- Stupor
- Hypothermia
- Convulsions
Long Term Affects of Alcohol are….
- Change in LDL
- Thrombosis
- Cancer
- Liver Cirrhosis
- Strokes
Risks of Alcohol
Mental Illness
- Heavy drinking can lead to mental illnesses such as depression and suicide
- UK studies show that 39% of men and 8% of women who attempted suicide were chronic drinkers
Cancer
- Alcohol alone is responsible for 3% of cancer
- Cancers that can strike when involved in drinking are the mouth, oesophagus, stomach and the liver
Malnutrition
- Alcohol has no nutritional values what so ever that the body requires
- Alcohol can dull appetite and food intake can suffer because of this
- Can result in lowered energy and nutrient levels and affects the way the body absorbs nutrients etc
Stroke
- Brain tissue dies due to a disruption of blood flow that is travelling to the brain
- Heavy consumption of alcohol intake is associated with an increased percentage in stroke risk
Liver Damage
- The most common risk of alcohol damage
- Alcohol damages the liver tissue
- A build-up of fat occurs within liver cells in most people who regularly drink heavily, fatty liver progress can develop into hepatitis
- Alcohol Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. The inflammation can range from mild to severe, can lead to liver failure
-
Alcohol Cirrhosis is a condition where normal liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue (fibrosis). The scarring tends to be a gradual process. The liver slowly loses its ability to function correctly
- Liver failure can almost certainly lead to death
Hypertension
- Leads to a raised blood pressure
- Alcohol produce acute hypertension in some patients probably via the increased adrenaline secretion.
- Chronic alcohol consumption is one of the strongest predictors (sodium consumption being the other) of blood pressure.
What is Binge Drinking?
- Men who drink over 8 units of alcohol in a day
- Women who consume over 6 units of alcohol in a day
- 23% of men and 9% of women engage in ‘binge drinking’
- On Monday there is a peak in cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in countries with known weekend ‘binges’
Drinking in the 21st Century
With social cultures changing there has been a rise in the culture of so called ‘binge drinking’ where people go out and drink a huge amount of alcohol in a short period of time. This is a serious issue within society today and more and more people are suffering from the effects of this, more people than not being the women suffering from this as with more women breaking the traditional stereotype leads to the way in which women drink today. Also within today’s cultures a huge amount of underage drinkers are beginning to emerge which does not bode well for the future.
What is Smoking?
"Smoking" is having in one's possession a lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe or other object giving off tobacco smoke and inhaling the emissions from them when breathing in.
Smoking Guidelines
There are no guidelines on smoking as it is not recommended in an circumstances due to the major health risks that come with it therefore it is not necessary to produce guidelines for smoking as even in small doses it can serious affect health in a number of ways.
Benefits of Stopping Smoking
-
Improved oxygen carrying capacity
- Lower blood pressure
- Improved night vision
Repair Time for Previous Smokers
- 10 years to lower risk of heart disease
- 10-15 years to lower risk of cancer
Stats about Smokers
- Responsible for 5 million deaths a year
- Can bring on 25 different diseases
- Contains over 4000 chemical constituents
- In the UK more than 20,000 deaths from lung cancer
- 85% of lung cancer deaths are attributable to smoking
- Second-hand tobacco smoke is responsible for asthma and respiratory problems not to mention lung cancer.
Risks of Smoking
Cancer
- Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer that is caused by smoking
- Smoking has also been associated with other forms of cancer that include the mouth, oesophagus, bladder, breast, cervix, colon, liver, kidney and other types of cancer that can all prove fatal and eventually lead to death or other physical effects.
Coronary Heart Disease
- Higher risk of arteriosclerosis (the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries) when smoking which is a primary contributor to CHD
- Combined with other risks it increases the chances of a heart attack (two to three fold increase in risk)
Bronchitis
- This is the inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes of the respiratory system
- Damages cilia that line airways which means that over a period of time they become less efficient at clearing debris making lungs more susceptible to infection
Emphysema
- It is a chronic disease of the lungs
- The alveoli of the lungs are harmed, reducing the surface area of the lungs available for gaseous exchange
- Alveoli also lose their elasticity and eventually their function
- Leads to a shortness of breath
- Frequent coughing and production of thick mucus in the lungs
- Exercise tolerance is significantly reduced and therefore leading to other health risks including obesity etc
Smoking in the 21st Century
When tobacco produce were first advertised there were no health factors that came with this however things suddenly changed once research actually showed the affects that is has on people. In the 21st century there has been a significant attempt to try and reduce smoking in Britain with smoking being banned in all public places and the age limit raised to 18 not to mention the introductory of health warnings on packets which hopefully help reduce smoking in the UK.
What is Stress?
Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by our response to pressure from the outside world
Stress Guidelines
There are no guidelines to stress as it cannot be measured but it is not recommended to have high levels of it as it does have its side effects however it is known that in a minority stress can be quite good for the body and mind.
Cognitive Symptoms include…
- Memory problems
- Indecisiveness
- Inability to concentrate
- Trouble thinking clearly
- Poor judgment
Emotional Symptoms include…
-
Moodiness
- Agitation
- Restlessness
- Short temper
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Irritability, impatience
Stats on Stress
- Globally, more than 3 out of 5 people visits are for stress related problems
- Worldwide, 23% of women executives and professional, and 19% of their male peers, say the feel super-stressed
- 43% of adults suffer health problems from stress
- Stress is linked to the six leading causes of death. Heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide.
Risks of Stress
Hypertension
- Leads to a raised blood pressure
- Increased amount of blood pumped by the heart or increased resistance to the flow of blood
- Generally defined as blood pressure reading greater than 140 over 90
- Emotional stress is though to play a major role
Angina
- Experience pain in the centre of the chest
- The chest can feel tight and constricted
- Pain starts behind the sternum in the centre of the chest and can spread to other parts
- Emotional stress again is meant to play a part in this
Colitis
- The inflammation of the colon
- Pain and swelling around lower abdomen and bowel movements become irritable resulting in persistent diarrhoea
Stroke
- Also known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
- Brain tissue dies due to a disruption of blood flow that is travelling to the brain
- Self-reported high stress intensity and weekly stress were associated with a higher risk of fatal stroke compared with no stress
- There are no significant trends however that present strong evidence that self-reported stress is an independent risk factor for stroke
Heart Attack
- Occurs when blood flow to a section of heart muscle becomes blocked
- If not restored sections of the heart muscle becomes damaged from a lack of oxygen and begins to die
- High levels of stress make other risk factors (such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure) worse
- Chronic stress exposes your body to unhealthy, persistently elevated levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
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Studies also link stress to changes in the way blood clots, which increases the risk of heart attack.
Ulcers
- An ulcer is an open sore of the skin, eyes or mucous membrane
- Stress irritates ulcers to become more flared and painful
-
Gastric acid output is correlated with psychological distress
-
Psychological stress triggers many ulcers and impairs response to treatment
Depression
- Depression is a ‘whole body’ illness involving the body, mood and thoughts
- It affects the way you eat, sleep and feel about yourself and the way you think about yourself
- If a stressful experience causes a person to become depressed, it may happen indirectly
- When you are stressed, your brain works differently. You are more likely to resort to 'All or Nothing' thinking, which causes catastrophising, and difficulties in solving complex problems
Exercise and Stress
The main thing is to find things and commit to doing them regularly
- Repeating the same motion for a period of time has a relaxing effect similar to meditation. Rhythmic exercises that can provide this effect include swimming laps, walking and running
- Some people enjoy exercises that focus on breathing and fluid movement such as yoga
- Exercising in pairs, for instance dancing the tango or tennis
- Exercise releases hormones such as catecholamines and glucocosticoids that help minimize the short-term disruptions of blood pressure and glucose metabolism observed during periods of stress
- However exercise can also serve as an outlet for releasing negative emotions such as anger, frustration and irritability
