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Diana Orozco
Mrs. ODowd
Anatomy
6 March 2015
Disease Essay
Many people in America are ignorant towards the way they live. Little do they know
that their lifestyle actually has a lasting effect on their health. Bad habits like smoking, lack
of exercise, and the consumption of alcohol tend to hurt a person as they progress in age.
However one of the many contributing factors to diseases in America is the things Americans
love the mostfood. Even though food is crucial to our health, it can be a fatal factor if it is
abused. Numerous diseases develop from the misuse of food consumption, for example
gallbladder diseases, strokes, diarrheal diseases, hyperextension, and so on and so forth. The
most common ones are obesity, diabetes, and coronary artery disease. All three diseases are
related to an unhealthy live style based upon cultural reasons, society contributions, or a
persons diet.
In the US, to be categorized as obese it all depends on the persons height that may or
may not match with a considerable healthy weight also known as the Body Mass Index. All
the weight in the human body may come from muscle, bone, fat and/or body water. So if a
person binges on calories day by day, and is not physically active the weight in their body
will increase. As well as the possibility of having fatal conditions such as a heart stroke, high
cholesterol, and arthritis. Unfortunately there are more than one-third of adults that are obese.
Also the percentage of obesity in children and adolescents has tripled in the course of one
year. Before, this disease use to be inevitable because culturally people eat excessive sugars
or salts in cooked meals. Since eating became a social dynamic, consumers did not realize
their caloric intake while eating with family. Also children are defenseless towards the food
they are given to eat. A familys lifestyle can influence the childrens dietary habits when it

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comes to eating fast-food or home cooked meals. As well as the encouragement of joining a
physical extracurricular activity is vital in a childs health development because it can
habituate them to stay active and energize themselves. Nowadays there are opportunities to
avoid such an unhealthy lifestyle. Various health eating programs are offered to the public in
order to learn new nutritional ways of living. Also fast food restaurants provide nutritional
facts about the food they sell, so the customers wont become so ignorant on what they are
eating. As for physical activity, communities now have open gyms, recreational parks, and
welfare organizations to motivate the public to get involved. However there are some families
that live under hard restrictions and do not have the time or money to afford all that. So they
have to settle for dollar menu fast food and strive for a better life.
Another food related disease is coronary artery disease, the deadliest one in America.
Normal arteries tend to be elastic and smooth enough to carry oxygen and nutrients. In this
disease, the arteries get clogged with plaque and enclose the space. So then the body becomes
deprived of those nutrients and oxygen, and restrict blood flow to the heart. This all starts off
with high levels of cholesterol or sugar in the blood, which relates to unhealthy dietary
choices. Just like obesity, coronary artery disease is evitable for a person. No one has to live
with this disease as long as they take care of themselves. For an elderly it may be harder to
stay active as aging occurs, however their caloric intake completely relies on their diet. In
some cases family history of heart diseases can effect a persons chances of getting the
disease. This does not mean that a diagnosed person can not alleviate the disease. They would
have to adopt a low-trans-fat, low-salt, and low-sugar diet and quit habits that can worsen
their condition. Now that super markets receive package foods that are not all processed, it
benefits the consumers to choose from organic fruits to all natural food choices. So to go
grocery shopping, it encourages to cook at home and avoid buying fattening foods. To avoid

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getting such a fatal disease as coronary heart disease is all up to the way the person chooses
to live their life.
Diabetes is another contributor to food-related diseases in the United States. It is a
long-term condition that causes high blood sugar levels in the body. There are two different
types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. Type 1 has to do with the body not producing, insulin,
and a hormone that lowers glucose in the body. However in Type 2 the insulin is produced
but it is not sufficient for the body to be in homeostasis. Approximately 382 million people
over the world come in contact with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes. Most of the symptoms
include frequent urination, intense thirst and hunger, weight gain, unusual weight loss,
fatigue, cuts and bruises that do not heal. The cause of diabetes is hereditary however the
increase rate of development does come from insulin resistance in obese and physically
inactive people. The excessive abdominal fat in obese people can actually restrict the muscle,
liver, and fat cells to stop responding to insulin. This makes more insulin production through
the pancreas, and at any time the beta cells that make insulin can stop working. All this
leading to high glucose levels in the body also known as the diabetes itself. The source of
diabetic problems may come from genes, but a persons diet is also responsible for the cause.
In fact a person diagnosed with type 1 diabetes can actually live a normal life as long as they
have a healthy eating plan, necessary exercise, and takes insulin medication. So their sugar
intake would have to be recovered, in order for them to recover soon. For diabetic people
they now have alternatives like sugar-free products sold in super markets to reduce the rate of
their condition.
In my case I am mildly prone to any of these conditions because my family has a
history of heart-related diseases. It is completely up to my future lifestyle, whether I increase
the chances of being diagnosed. Currently I am moderately active, from time to time I do run
and lift weights. My food consumption consists of a sufficient supply of water and my

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vegetable and fruit intake may not be a normal daily value but I do eat it at least throughout
the week. I am not a fan fast-food places and probably eat more at restaurants. So according
to my lifestyle it does not seem as if I am susceptible to any of these disease, for now. I may
have to adapt to a healthier and more active life as I progress in age. Thanks to my hardworking parents they have blessed me to have a good dietary life by providing homemade
cooked meals and organic products. Some parents do not consider that type of life for their
children and habituate to a bad lifestyle. So I appreciate every meal I eat and every heartbeat I
make because it feels good to be healthy and alive and I will never know how long that will
last.

Bibliography

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