Life Nutrition Academy
Life Nutrition Academy
As the saying goes, "To defeat your enemy, you must first know it." This is why understanding our health and well-being challenges is crucial in overcoming them. One of the most significant health problems today—often referred to as the epidemic of the century—is non-communicable disease (NCD).
Let’s start by breaking down what this term means. Non-communicable diseases are a group of chronic conditions, meaning they develop over time, and while a complete cure may not be possible, their symptoms can often be managed. These diseases result from a combination of factors, not just a single cause. The key contributing factors include genetic, physiological, environmental, and behavioral influences.
When we look closer at these factors, we see that some, like genetics, are beyond our control (at least for now!). Others, like the environment—including water and air quality—are partially within our control. However, we have the most influence over behavioral factors such as lifestyle, diet, tobacco and alcohol use, exercise, and sleep. This is where we have the power to make significant changes that can prevent NCDs, slow their progression, or reduce the severity of their symptoms.
If we examine the data, the impact of NCDs becomes clear. Non-communicable diseases are responsible for 74% of all deaths worldwide—that’s 41 million deaths each year, or more than 7 out of 10 deaths globally.
The most common types of NCDs:
Cardiovascular disease; Coronary heart disease, Stroke
Cancer
Chronic respiratory disease
Diabetes
Chronic neurologic disorders; Alzheimer’s, Dementias,…
Arthritis/ Musculoskeletal disease; Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis,…
The first four conditions listed are the leading NCDs, responsible for the majority of deaths worldwide.
In the upcoming blog posts, we will explore the most common NCDs in greater detail, discussing their different types, causes, and how we can manage or even prevent them.
Sources:
https://www.who.int/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases#tab=tab_1
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/ncd/global-ncd-overview.html