Environmental and behavioral interventions have remained to be of primary focus as far as cancer prevention is concerned. Developing and developed countries suffer from different types of cancers attributable to different modifiable risk factors. 75% of cancers are attributed to behavioral factors, which if modified, could significantly help to reduce the burden of cancer disease. Various healthy behaviors should be adhered to concerning cancer prevention. To start with, scientists continuously propose that a healthy diet coupled with exercise plays a fundamental role in the modification of cancer risk. Lack of engagement in physical activity and poor eating habits lead to increased body mass index (BMI), a risk factor to breast, colon, and prostate cancers, where a correlation of 0.55, 0.4, and 0.6 was derived respectively (Akushevich et al, 2011).
Even though the mechanism which leads to a reduction in the occurrence of cancer attributed to low BMI is not clear, substantial evidence has supported this hypothesis. Unhealthy dietary patterns characterized by fatty and sugary foods, and low activity levels are considered to be unhealthy behaviors, which in themselves are impacting risk factors that predispose individuals to various cancers irrespective of the site. High BMI characterizing overweight and obesity is a risk factor for According to Key et al (2004, 187), healthy eating is second to lack of smoking in the prevention of cancers. Smoking and alcohol use are two unhealthy behaviors that also act as impacting risk factors for oral cavity, pharynx, esophageal, and lung cancers, due to their supposed negative effects on the epithelium (Key et al, 2004, 189). Abstinence or faithfully staying with one sexual partner is another form of healthy behavior that should be adopted among women in the prevention of cervical uteri cancer. Unhealthy sexual behavior predisposes one to the human papillomavirus, which is the impacting risk factor to cervical uteri cancer.
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is another disease that is highly preventable if only an individual embraces a healthy lifestyle in terms of diet and exercise. It is the leading cause of death in the US for both men and women. Just like cancer, physical inactivity and poor eating habits are the main unhealthy behaviors that predispose one to risk factors for CHD. Unhealthy cholesterol, bad cholesterol, obtained from poor choices of foods is one of the major risk factors that attributes to CHD. Bad cholesterol is mainly received from saturated and Trans fats thus, a healthy diet aiming to reduce the incidence of CHD should contain less saturated and Trans fats and more unsaturated fats. In addition, a high-fat diet leads to obesity and subsequently CHD. High serum cholesterol supports the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, which is an underlying disease in CHD. There is also strong evidence on the significant association between cigarette smoking and CHD. Cigarette smoking results in atherosclerosis and escalated levels of blood clotting factors like fibrinogen. These thereby act as risk factors for CHD. Various prospective studies have supported the hypotheses behind reduced cigarette smoking as a significant mechanism through which mortality could be reduced, compared with increased cigarette smoking. Physical inactivity and overweight/obesity are other risk factors, which are a result of poor eating habits coupled with a lack of working out. Obesity and physical inactivity are considered to bring about other risk factors/co-morbidities such as hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, and lowered high-density lipoproteins, which are strongly related to CHD (Eckel, 1997). It is therefore obvious without any reasonable doubt that a healthy lifestyle is very important to keep one safe and away from chronic diseases as discussed above.
References
Akushevich, I. et al. (2011). Cancer Risk and Behavioral Factors, Co-morbidities, and Functional Status in the US Elderly Population. Web.
Eckel, R. H. (1997). Obesity and Heart Disease. American Heart Association, Inc, 96, 3248-3250.
Key, T. J. (2004). Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer. Public Health Nutrition, 7 (1A), 187-200.