Personal health is an important issue to be taken into account when going about our day-to-day activities. I am female, Caucasian, and in my early twenties, which means I am prone to various health problems. Young female Caucasians do have health problems ranging from alcoholism, obesity, heart ailments, high cholesterol, and breast cancer to diabetes and osteoporosis. The problems are generally brought about by several factors which include unhealthy habits, ignorance, and hereditary factors. Hales (2010) highlighted this fact by saying that:
Your health depends on many factors, including your age, gender, race, and ethnic background. If you are in your late teens or early twenties, you are in a potentially risky transition. Young men and women of every race and ethnic group are more likely to eat fast food, not exercise, be obese, and smoke cigarettes (Hales, 2010).
In addition to this, Hales continues by stating that “white Americans, who have the best health in adolescence, experience the greatest decline in early adulthood” (Hales, 2010). This last statement seems to reflect my case; though I am still in my early twenties, without proper precautions and healthy habits I might experience health problems shortly. Therefore this paper is going to discuss the issue of personal health and a high-risk condition I am prone to, based upon my age, sex, and ethnicity. The paper will then conclude by showing possible measures to be employed in preventing this condition.
People of my age and ethnicity are prone to specific health difficulties; some of these are hereditary which means very little can be done to prevent them. Conversely, most of these problems are brought about by our own bad and unhealthy habits. Habits encouraging health difficulties encompass bad eating habits, ignorance, and lack of exercise.
According to research, Caucasians as in my case are subject to diabetes, alcoholism, stroke, cancer, heart disease, and high cholesterol. Other health problems in Caucasians are shown by Hales (2010) when he asserted that, “Caucasians are prone to osteoporosis (progressive weakening of bone tissue); cystic fibrosis; skin cancer; and phenylketonuria (PKU) a metabolic disease that can lead to mental retardation”. Again breast cancer is diagnosed more in Caucasians; this is also evidenced by Hales when he identified that, “the incidence of female breast cancer is highest among white women and lower among Native American women” (Hales, 2010).
As much as these diseases affect us, we are part and parcel of the creation of our health problems. “Most diseases are an interaction between our environment, our behavior and what we inherit” (Hill, 2008). The biggest health problem affecting us (Caucasians) is cardiovascular (heart) diseases. In an article by Bryant (2006) about healthy policy, in the UK, Canada, USA, and Sweden, Caucasians show vulnerability to heart diseases more than blacks. This is attributed to the fact that blacks make more fruits and vegetables as compared to whites who feed much on processed foods. There is high consumption of vegetable and fruits servings per day in blacks than whites, making whites more prone.
According to research, racial and ethnic differences determines the pattern of diet intake in terms of fats, cholesterol, and fiber, the ease of transportation of healthy food options to the grocery, availability, and quality of healthcare facilities, lifestyle, and excessive alcoholism. These are factors that increase the risks of developing cardiovascular diseases in Caucasians and young people. Lack of regular physical activities and excessive smoking are also associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases. In the USA alone 85% of Caucasians who are subjected to smoking, diabetes, unhealthy diet, those involved in eating out habits, those who lack physical exercise, alcoholics, and stressed individuals display characteristics of heart diseases (Bryant, 2006).
People who lack exercise regularly also build up chances of being obese which in turn activates these diseases because of fats being deposited in the body. Stressed people are more prone to these diseases as it lowers rates of metabolism hence accumulating fats. A lot of research has associated the connection between psychosocial stress and stress-related to marriage and heart ailment mostly in women.
Therefore it is evident that young Caucasians are prone to these kinds of diseases because of the nature of fast foods available in the restaurants and food stores, lack of exercise, and ignorance. Statistics show that the USA has a broader view of heart disease because they feed more on processed foods due to highly advanced technology.
“While it’s a good idea to be aware of the health risks facing our ethnic group, we are not supposed to assume we’re immune to a particular disease because it’s less common among our group” (Lewis, 2003). Conversely, just because an individual’s ethnicity has a history of a particular ailment does not mean the ailment must affect him/her. It is also true that “a lot of the things that people of certain ethnic populations have an inherent predisposition to are made worse by certain factors they can control,” (Lewis, 2003). “If you eat a healthier diet, exercise, and don’t smoke, you’re ahead of the game. Doctors also recommend paying special attention to preventive measures, including regular screenings and checkups” (Lewis, 2003).
Because it is evident that some of these diseases are acquired due to careless dietary practices and habits together with the lack of exercise and ignorance we must try to avoid any kind of drinking, smoking, eating out habits, intake of saturated fats, stressful conditions, and instead embrace physical activities. Other measures to be embraced include knowing family disease history and seeking professional advice in case a particular disease runs in the family. These are the best ways this matter can be resolved.
References
Bryant, T. (2006). The State’s role in promoting population health: Public health concerns in Canada, USA, UK, and Sweden. Health Policy. 78, 39-55.
Hales, D. (2010). An Invitation to Health. Belmont CA: Wadsworth publishers.
Hill, L. (2008). Different ethnic groups and health risks. International journal of the risks to health 24 (2), 62-69.
Lewis, D. (2003). Ways of combating diseases in our ethnic groups. Health Education, 103, 177-189.