What are the Twelve Dangerous Diseases?

Overweight, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle are key risk factors in each of the diseases that we at Inner Reach^® call the Dozen Dangerous Diseases. Crucial differences can be made in health by examining habits and making changes. People can cause these diseases themselves by being overweight and obese. Knowing your Body Mass Index and waist circumference measurement and checking for Metabolic Syndrome can be followed by investigating these diseases to identify your risks and see how you are doing. The Dozen Dangerous Diseases include:

1. Hypertension: Keeping weight off and limiting sodium (salt) are essential for a healthy heart and low blood pressure. High sodium items to avoid include: table salt, canned goods, baked goods, frozen, ‘fast', pre-packaged, and processed foods. Hints: consider limiting daily sodium to 1,500 milligrams (2,000 mgs at most); eat fresh natural foods.
2. Heart Disease and congestive heart failure, heart muscle problems, and death are high risk factors in obese people. Dyslipidemia is disorders in the lipoprotein metabolism, resulting in elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and low levels of HDL cholesterol which predisposes a person to premature atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the formation of plaque in the lining of the arteries. Arteries are the blood vessels that move blood away from the heart to all areas of the body. Some plaque is hard and stable and leads to narrowed and hardened arteries. Other plaque is soft and is more likely to break open and cause blood clots. When plaque hardens and narrows the arteries, the flow of oxygen-rich blood to organs and other parts of the body is reduced. This can lead to serious problems, including heart attack, stroke, or even death. ^[1] Painful collection of fat in the legs can occur with being overweight and obese. ^[2]
3. Stroke: Usually associated with hypertension, stroke occurs from hemorrhage, ruptured blood vessel(s), or a blood clot forming in the brain. Stroke can leave people paralyzed, unable to speak or with impaired speech. Being sedentary promotes clots. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) tells us obesity is a blood clot state, contributing to elevated risk for coronary heart disease and stroke.
4. Osteoarthritis, bone, joint, and muscle problems: Getting and keeping weight off, eating healthfully, exercising and stretching movements work together to reduce the trauma to bones, joints, and muscles.
5. Type II Diabetes: Type II Diabetes (non-insulin dependant type) often occurs as a result of obesity and poor eating habits which can be reversed with weight reduction, prevention measures. Imagine this: 70% of al type II diabetes is caused by being overweight or obese. ^[3]
6. Digestive and Gallbladder Problems: Many commonly eaten foods today contain processed chemical additives that cause trouble for our stomachs and bodies. Healthy bodies require vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, water, and enzymes from fresh foods and proper digestion. Choosing only fresh, healthful foods is smart. Studies show overweight and obesity are major risk factors for gallstones, especially in women. Hardened cholesterol accounts for most gallstones; diet and exercise can help this.
7. Colon cancer ^[4]
8. Uterine and Ovarian Cancer ^[5]
9. Breast Cancer ^[6]
10. Prostate cancer: Obese men are more likely than non-obese men to die from prostate or colorectal cancer. ^[7] Obese women are more likely than non-obese women to die from cancer of the gallbladder, breast, uterus, cervix, or ovaries. ^[8]
11. Inflammation: Inflammation is a warning sign and is a precursor of many diseases. Treating inflammation quickly prevents serious consequences later on.
12. Chronic illnesses: Caused or worsened by bad habits, chronic illnesses are the biggest expense for healthcare, resulting in bad health and early death.^[9]

These are 12 crucial areas of illness and disease that we can do something significant about by assessing ourselves for trouble, eating well, walking regularly, and getting and keeping a healthy weight. Obesity alone is a significant risk factor in each of the Dangerous Dozen overweight and obesity related diseases we have listed. What's needed is self-knowledge through self-assessment, education, and habit change to reduce risk, get healthy, and live well and longer. We must understand this: we create most of our health risks ourselves by what we do--and do not do. Good health is up to us.

Much can be learned about sleep, depression, and anxiety from examining our symptoms, patterns, and habits. We can--and must--take an active role in our own treatment plan from its design to its follow-through to achieve the quality of life we desire.

Take these three mental health assessments to learn more about your patterns:

1. Depression Assessment and Screening
2. General Anxiety Disorder Assessment and Screening
3. Sleep Disturbances Assessment and Screening

• Know what changes to make through self-assessment checks at: www.higshealth.com
• Gather histories for baselines and assess yourself for all relevant disease categories such as these 12 and any others of interest or areas of concern you might have.
• Do mental health self-assessment checks, especially for anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances since they are common problems for nearly everyone.
• Determine your baselines and uniqueness, find your patterns, monitor yourself, and make changes.
• Reduce unnecessary doctor visits though self- knowledge and pro-active self-care.
• Gain and keep a consistent healthy weight.
• If capable, walk 20 minutes daily, every day outside whenever possible (weather permitting).
• Learn about diet. Eat healthfully and mostly fresh foods.
• Know the foods to: lower inflammation, build the immune system; have a healthy heart, good brain chemistry, and to lose and control weight. (See HiGS Library)
• Look better, feel better, think better, and do better.

References: