Diet Related Health Problems

There are many diseases that affect your nutritional needs and a bad diet will affect your health which is why healthy eating is essential to your wellbeing.

Obesity affects about 1 in 4 people in the UK. Body mass index (BMI) is used to measure if someone is overweight. For adults a BMI between 18.5 and 25 is classified as a healthy weight, between 25 and 30 is overweight and between 30 and 35 is considered obese. Above 35 is extremely obese. BMI is not always reliable as a person could weigh a lot due to muscle mass rather than body fat.

Obesity

Obesity is generally caused if a person has a very sedentary lifestyle and consumes more calories than they burn off, this is particularly likely if they eat too many fatty and sugary foods.

Obesity creates a whole host of health issues such as tiredness and breathing difficulties it can also cause high blood pressure and high cholesterol which can lead to strokes and heart disease. It can cause other serious health risks such as cancer and type 2 diabetes as well as often causing low self-esteem which damages a person’s mental health.

Coronary heart disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is caused by clogged arteries. Your arteries get clogged when they are filled with fatty deposits which is generally caused by eating too many saturated fats and being physically inactive. Smoking also damages the lining of your arteries and reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood which causes high blood pressure and cancers.

If your blood cannot pass through your blood vessels efficiently it can cause a squeezing pain in your chest called angina. Blood clots can also form which block the flow of blood to your heart, this can cause a fatal heart attack.

The video below explains the function of the heart.

Anaemia

Iron deficiency can cause anaemia. We need iron to make our red blood cells which carry oxygen from our lungs around our bodies. Anaemia is caused by not eating enough iron rich foods such as dark green leafy vegetables and read meat. People with anaemia have a reduced amount of red blood cells which causes tiredness, heart palpitations and headaches.

Diabetes

If there is too much insulin in your blood your pancreas produces insulin to reduce your blood glucose levels. Type 2 diabetes is a disorder where your blood glucose levels stay too high because your pancreas either can’t produce enough insulin or the body resists it. Type 2 diabetes can be caused by being obese and cause all sorts of health problems such as blindness, limb numbness, CHD and kidney failure. People with diabetes can feel tired and thirsty.

Poor diet can also affect you skeleton as your bones and teeth can become diseased if you don’t get the right amount of nutrients.

Rickets is a condition where your bones become soft or weak due to not having enough vitamin D or calcium in your diet.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease which weakens bones and makes them brittle. People suffering osteoporosis can experience broken bones from simple falls or trips. Eating foods rich in vitamin D and calcium can prevent osteoporosis.

Tooth decay is caused when too much plaque builds up on your teeth, bacteria then feeds on the plaque and can create acids that can destroy tooth enamel and cause tooth decay. Brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day and making sure you eat fewer sugary foods can help prevent tooth decay.

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