Between pressure and smoking
One in five deaths is associated with poor nutrition
Anna Kerman, XX2 century, according to The Guardian: Poor diet is a factor in one in five deaths, global disease study reveals
Every fifth death in the world is associated with poor nutrition – these are the results of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 (GBB, Global Burden of Disease Study). Experts from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington concluded that a diet low in whole grains, fruits, nuts, seeds and fish oil and high in salt increases the risk of premature death. GBB data is published in The Lancet magazine.
The results of a new study show that people have begun to live longer. In 2016, life expectancy is 75.3 years for women and 69.8 for men. They live the longest in Japan (84 years), the least in the Central African Republic (just over 50 years).
The second most important (after smoking) risk factor for premature death is nutrition. Other factors: high blood glucose, high blood pressure, high body mass index, which is a sign of obesity, and high cholesterol. All this may be due to poor nutrition, although there are other reasons.
"This is very important. This is one of the most serious global problems, and it is only getting worse," says Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Indicators and Assessment. Some believe that the problem arises because in developing countries they are increasingly moving away from traditional nutrition, replacing it with Western. But it's not that simple. "Let's take fruit,– Murray says. "They are good for health, but often only very rich people eat fruit – with some exceptions."
According to Professor John Newton, Director of Wellness at Public Health England (the executive body of the UK Ministry of Health), diseases related to nutrition and obesity are becoming more common – this is evidenced by the results of research. 72% of people die from non-communicable diseases, which can be caused, among other things, by problems with excess weight and improper diet. And the main cause of premature death is coronary heart disease.
There is also good news. In 2016, for the first time in modern history, less than 5 million children under the age of five died in a year. For comparison, in 1990, 11 million deaths were registered in this age group. The reason for the positive shift was the changes that occurred in low-income countries. Women began to gain access to education more often, the average number of children in families decreased, vaccinations, antimalarial bed nets, and improved sanitary conditions contributed.
Mental illnesses and drug addiction affect more than a billion people around the world. In most countries, depression is among the top ten causes of disability. "Our research shows that people are living longer. It can be seen that over the past ten years we have managed to significantly reduce the level of children (up to five years) mortality and the number of deaths from malaria," Murray comments. – "But despite all these achievements, we are faced with three problems – obesity, conflict and mental illness (including substance abuse) "which continue to hold back the progress of many nations and communities."
"This is another reminder that we live longer, but we get sick more," says the scientist. – It is very important to prevent diseases that interfere with work and put health at long-term risk, for example, problems with the musculoskeletal system, hearing impairment or mental disorders. First of all, we must help people, especially in early and middle age, and make sure that people live long and stay healthy in old age."
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20.09.2017