WHO Says Lifestyle Factors, Not Medication, Are the Answer to Most Human Diseases
PeterB - Original
Human Diseases
WHO Calls for Action to Stop Chronic Diseases
By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
05 October 2005
The World Health Organization says 17 million people die prematurely
every year from chronic diseases, the leading cause of death. In a new
report, the World Health Organization proposes a plan of global action
to prevent chronic disease which, it says, could save the lives of 36
million people who would otherwise be dead by 2015.
The World Health Organization says millions of people are dying
prematurely and suffering needlessly from heart disease, stroke,
cancer, and diabetes. It says these diseases are preventable and the
global epidemic of chronic disease can be stopped. It says the vast
majority of cases are caused by three preventable risk factors -
unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and tobacco use.
The Director of WHO's Department of Chronic Diseases and Health
Promotion, Robert Beaglehole, says myths surrounding chronic diseases
hamper action to stop them. For example, he says one myth claims
chronic diseases affect only wealthy men in wealthy countries. But he
says evidence shows 80 percent of these deaths occur in low and middle-
income countries and half of them among women.
"At least 50 percent of adults over the age of 30 in some sub-Saharan
African countries are already overweight," he noted. "Blood pressure
levels in sub-Saharan Africa are among the highest levels in the
world. And, cholesterol levels which is also an important risk factor
for cardiovascular disease are common everywhere except in the very,
very poorest famine-hit countries. We are not talking about the Nigers
of this world or the Malawis of this world."
The World Health Organization hopes countries around the world will
take notice and do something about chronic diseases once they realize
what they cost.
This report estimates during the next 10 years China will suffer
accumulated losses of $558 billion as a result of heart disease,
stroke, cancer and diabetes. Russia will suffer losses of more than
$300 billion and India $236 billion.
Dr. Beaglehole calls this staggering. He says countries will save
billions of dollars if they promote programs to save millions of
lives.
"And that is why we propose a goal for preventing ... 36 million
deaths from chronic diseases between now and the year 2015 and that is
achievable if we reduce chronic disease death rates by two percent a
year ... a rate of decline which has been far exceeded, far exceeded
most notably and most recently in Poland," added Dr. Beaglehole.
Dr. Beaglehole says in Poland, the death rates in young adults
declined by 10 percent a year in the 1990's and in older people by six
percent a year. He says the government achieved this at very low cost
by making fruit and vegetables available and by removing subsidies on
dairy products, particularly butter. As these products became more
expensive, he says the government lowered prices on healthier oils.
The WHO report cites other inexpensive and cost-effective measures
that can lead to better health. These include reducing salt in
processed foods, improving school meals, and taxing tobacco products.
http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-10/2005-10-05-voa8.cfm
copyright credit: voanews.com
carole
How much of this information do you trust? That is the question.
Diet is part of the problem of course -- but what really constitutes
an ideal diet?
There is a lot of discrepancy on many aspects, including what is good
oil and what isn't. For years they said eggs were bad, now they say
they're ok and an excellent source of protein.
You can't trust this sort of information, have to figure it out
yourself.
carole
www.cellsalts.net
PeterB - Original
WHO reports are based on good quality data accumulated across many
countries and populations. It's hard to argue that most diseases
affecting us are attributable to lifestyle factors.
> Diet is part of the problem of course -- but what really constitutes
> an ideal diet?
Since most of the world has a problem even accessing food, what is
"ideal" isn't the question. The lack of fresh foods (whether due to
poor agriculture or other factors, such as poverty in developed
countries) is the link between diet and disease.
> There is a lot of discrepancy on many aspects, including what is
> good oil and what isn't. For years they said eggs were bad, now
> they say they're ok and an excellent source of protein.
> You can't trust this sort of information, have to figure it out
> yourself.
That's a higher level of debate because it pertains to the quality of
functional foods, not merely access to fresh foods. If you give any
population more access to fruits and vegetables, you'll lower rates of
disease. It's just that simple.
carole
Peter B-Aboriginal
"PeterB - Original" <p...@mytrashmail.com> wrote in message
news:c5a373fe-c59a-4c09...@m26g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...
You can answer this somewhat by asking yourself if it was diet or
lifestyle that caused aids.
PeterB - Original
PeterB - Original
> "PeterB - Original" <p...@mytrashmail.com> wrote in messagenews:c5a373fe-c59a-4c09...@m26g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...
So you have proof that AIDS is the result of a single vector. Go
ahead and produce the evidence to back that up. That is what you are
claiming, is it not?
Peter B-Aboriginal
====================================================
Incredible, starting straight at the bottom. Ignorance extroardinaire!
No,
PeterB - Original
wrote:
> "PeterB - Original" <p...@mytrashmail.com> wrote in messagenews:20005ae9-28a3-49e0...@o10g2000yqa.googlegroups.com...
"No," meaning you have no proof of anything you claim, now or ever.
But we knew that.
Peter B-Aboriginal
=====================================================
We as in paranoid schitzophrenic. It figures.
PeterB - Original
> "PeterB - Original" <p...@mytrashmail.com> wrote in messagenews:344b23e5-7b7f-4c29...@z41g2000yqz.googlegroups.com...
Learn to spell, idiot.