As part of efforts to reduce the burden of Non-Communicable Diseases in the country, Nigerians have been urged to play their part by making a healthy lifestyle a priority in 2019.
Already, people diagnosed with chronic non-communicable diseases such as heart diseases, stroke, chronic lung diseases, cancers and diabetes mellitus are on the rise in Nigeria. The rise in these chronic diseases, experts say, comes with enormous challenge to the patients themselves, families, healthcare system and the society at large.
According to the World Health Organisation, about seven in 10 deaths annually are caused by NCDs, with half of the premature deaths from NCDs occurring in low and lower-middle income countries like Nigeria. Report from the Federal Ministry of Health has also confirmed WHO’s revelation, by showing that more Nigerians are now living with NCDs, a situation stakeholders say, requires urgent attention.
Besides, the world health body says that more than 15 million people between the ages of 30 and 70 die from NCDs annually. It also estimates that deaths from NCDs are likely to increase globally by 17 per cent over the next 10 years, and the African region will experience a 27 per cent increase, that is 28 million additional deaths from these conditions, which are projected to exceed deaths due to communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutritional diseases combined by 2030.
The major contributing agents of these diseases, according to studies, are tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity.
However, WHO has assured that 80 per cent of the risk of developing NCDs could be checked by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Again, the UN agency has identified four areas that, if addressed, will reduce the number of NCD sufferers. These include focusing on physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, harmful use of alcohol and tobacco consumption. . A recent study by the American Heart Association, found that people practising healthy heart habits had a significantly lower chance of developing cancer—a 38 per cent lower risk, to be exact.
To this end, experts are calling on Nigerians to make healthy lifestyle a priority in order to defeat the threat posed by these debilitating diseases, which currently have no cure. It is obvious that if Nigerians embrace recommended healthy lifestyle, the burden of diseases in the country will reduce.
According to the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, Nigeria needs to take urgent steps in tackling NCDs in the country before it becomes a national threat.
Adewole, during a high-level meeting on the multi-sectoral action plan on non-communicable diseases in Nigeria, said NCDs could no longer be referred to as rich man’s disease because even the poor were beginning to have them. This, he attributed to the change in lifestyle such as smoking of tobacco, inhaling second-hand smokes, unhealthy dietary pattern such as high salt and sugar intake, high intake of saturated fats and physical inactivity (increasing sedimentary lifestyle or too much sitting).
“People need conscious efforts to avoid NCDs. The risk of someone dying of NCD is one in five. Sitting for too long is dangerous, please try to always walk around,” he said.
Consequently, people must be concerned about the prevention of these diseases by adjusting their lifestyle. Nigerians must in the new year, take charge of their health by making changes such as eating a healthy diet and getting regular screenings and exercise. The people must begin to take comfort in the fact that, simple lifestyle changes can make a difference. The underlisted tips can help Nigerians defeat NCDs in 2019.
Don’t use tobacco
Smoking has been linked to various types of cancer — including cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, larynx, pancreas, bladder, cervix and kidney. Chewing tobacco has been linked to cancer of the oral cavity and pancreas. Even if you don’t use tobacco, exposure to second hand smoke might increase your risk of lung cancer.
Healthy diet
Increase fiber intake. High-fiber foods include most vegetables and fruits. Legumes are also high in fiber and healthy plant protein. Legumes include lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas, and soy. People who eat a lot of high-fiber foods tend to eat fewer calories, weigh less, and have a lower risk of diabetes. Increase fruits and vegetables intake. At least half of our food intake every day should be non-starchy fruits and vegetables, the more colourful, the better. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, and high-fiber fruits like berries of all kinds, are especially healthy. All fruits and vegetables are associated with living a significantly longer and healthier life.
Eat less meat, avoid processed red meat
Many studies have shown that certain meats are incredibly risky for us. People who eat processed red meat are far more likely to develop diabetes: one serving a day (which is two slices of bacon, two slices of deli meat, or one hot dog) is associated with over a 50 per cent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Eating even a small portion of red meat daily (red meat includes beef, lamb, and pork), like a palm-sized piece of steak, is associated with a 20 per cent increased risk of type 2 diabetes, based on available studies. As a matter of fact, the less meat you eat, the lower your risk of diabetes. People who don’t eat red meat at all, but do eat chicken, eggs, dairy, and fish, can significantly lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, by about 30 per cent; those who eat only fish, 50 per
cent.
Also, a report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer agency of the World Health Organisation, concluded that eating large amounts of processed meat could slightly increase the risk of certain types of cancer.
Maintain healthy weight, be physically active
Maintaining a healthy weight might lower the risk of various types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, prostate, lung, colon and kidney.
Physical activity counts, too. In addition to helping you control your weight, physical activity on its own might lower the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer.
Keep safe blood sugar levels
Protect your vital organs and reduce consumption of simple sugars that are found in soda, candy and sugary desserts. If you have diabetes, this can cause blood sugar to rise to dangerous levels, damaging the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves
over time.
Keep blood pressure down
Hypertension is the most significant risk factor for heart disease and it puts a strain on your kidneys. Don’t smoke. Smoking damages the entire circulatory system and increases your risk for coronary heart disease, hardened arteries, aneurysms and blood clots.
Avoid obesity
Eat lighter and leaner by choosing fewer high-calorie foods, including refined sugars and fat from animal sources.
If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only in moderation. The risk of various types of cancer — including cancer of the breast, colon, lung, kidney and liver — increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you’ve been drinking regularly.
