Heart Disease affects many people and families in Canada. The data below is from the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation...
Every 7 minutes in Canada, someone dies from heart disease or stroke.
Heart disease and stroke are two of the three leading causes of death in Canada. These statistics are based on 2008 data (the latest year available from Statistics Canada).1
In 2008 cardiovascular disease accounted for:
- 29% of all deaths in Canada (69,648 deaths – or more than 69,500)
- 28% of all male deaths
- 29.7% of all female deaths
In 2008, of all cardiovascular deaths:
- 54% were due to ischemic heart disease
- 20% to stroke
- 23% to heart attack
The United States also show simliar trends with regards to the effect of heart disease on their population. The link below is from the Amercian Heart and Stroke Foundation and outlines important factors leading to disease.
http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/ahamah-public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_434592.pdf
What can we do to reduce the incidence of heart disease?
If you became the Canadian Health Minister, what would you do?
What initiatives could be put in place to improve the statistics?
"Healthy Diet – Less than 1% of U.S. adults meet the definition for an Ideal Healthy Diet; essentially no children meet the goal."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.heart.org/idc/groups/ahamah-public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_434592.pdf
Having a healthy diet is quite a hard thing to achieve. This quote shows just that with only 1% of Adults actually meeting the definition for an ideal healthy diet. This "Ideal Healthy Diet" is so hard to achieve because in today's world it costs MORE to eat healthy. You can go and take your family to a fast food restaurant for around $20-$30 for a full meal for around 3-5 people. This cost is substantially increased for the ideal diet because you need not only the meat and grains that this meal gives, but you need fruit, vegetables and dairy as well.
Not only do you not get everything you need from this fast and cheap meal but you also intake a high amount of fats and grease from the meat and fries. This is very unhealthy for you and is a huge contributor to heart attacks and strokes. If we somehow lowered the price of eating healthy, or heightened the price of eating "fast" we could reduce obesity and heart attacks/strokes. By lowering the price of healthy foods poorer families would be able to afford the healthy route more readily than the unhealthy.
"Physical Activity - Only 20.7% of adults meet the federal guidelines for physical activity. Among 9 through 12 graders, only 37.0% meet the recommendations."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.heart.org/idc/groups/ahamah-public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_434592.pdf
Having physical activity in your life is sometimes hard to maintain. This quote is saying that people today are not getting enough exercise in there daily life. If you have 90 minutes of some type of physical activity will increase the average. For the kids 19 and under its hard to stay active with the cost of sports in general, most people cant afford to keep there kids in organized sports because of the cost. If we find a way to lower cost for the physical activities it will make a change for the better and prevent strokes and heart problems in the future.
"Over half of young people ages 5 to 17 years are not active enough for optimal growth and development."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.heartandstroke.on.ca/site/c.pvI3IeNWJwE/b.3581729/k.359A/Statistics.htm#physicalactivity
By excersizing at least 90 minutes a day you can strengthen your heart muscle, lowering your blood pressure. You can also raise your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (good cholesterol)and lowering high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (bad cholesterol). By doing all of these, you can increase your hearts working capacity. If the health minister were to make physical activity mandatory in schools, it would only benefit people in the future. Some initiatives that could be put in place are not only making it mandatory in schools but, drop the costs of sports or make more available so more and more people will join.
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ReplyDelete20% of all cardiovascular deaths are caused by strokes. The primary way that strokes are caused, is by having high cholesterol. There are many actions one can take to avoid high cholesterol. There are two types of cholesterol, and both aren't bad. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol is good, because it carries the low density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) way from the artery walls. It's the LDL that builds up plaque in the artery walls. Eating plenty of vegetables, nuts and fish will provide you with the healthy fats that your body needs (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats), and keeps cholesterol at bay. Limit your intake of saturated fats, found primarily in red meat and high fat dairy products. Avoid trans fats, as they lower the good cholesterol and greatly increase the bad cholesterol. Basically having a healthy diet (consuming lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains) will majorly decrease your chance of having high cholesterol. Smoking increases the bad cholesterol, so avoiding that helps a lot too. Being physically active on a regular basis will improve the good cholesterol levels, and cut down on the bad ones. They say adults should have at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week. If I were the Canadian Health Minister, I would enforce that physical education during the eleventh and twelfth grade continue, and don't end in the tenth grade. By doing so, it makes physical activity part of teenagers' regular routine, and it becomes habitual for them. They will then be more likely to continue it in their adulthood, and keep up healthy habits to diminish their chance of having high cholesterol, that could possibly lead to a stroke.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3484161/k.37F7/Stroke__High_blood_cholesterol.htm
One of the factors that can lead to heart disease and stroke is a condition called hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. Blood pressure is a measurement of the force against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood through your body.
ReplyDeleteMost of the time there are no symptoms for high blood pressure which means people can develop heart diseases or kidney problems without knowing it until its too late.
Having a high blood pressure increases the chance of having a stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney diseases, and early death.
Factors that can contribute to high blood pressure are: how much salt and water is in your body; the condition of your kidneys, nervous system, or blood vessels; and the levels of different hormones in your body. Other contributors to a high blood pressure are obesity, stress, too much alcohol consumption, having a family history of HBP, diabetes, and smoking.
Ways to help prevent the development of high blood pressure, and ultimately reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, are to eat a heart-healthy diet and drink plenty of water, exercise regularly, limit the amount of alcohol consumed on a daily basis, limit the amount of sodium in your diet, reduce stress, and stay at a healthy body weight.
Statistics show that about 1 in 3 adultes(an estimated 68 million people) in america have high blood pressure. 69% of people who have a first heart attack, 77% of people who have a first stroke, and 74% of people with chronic heart failure all have high blood pressure. Less than half (46%) of people with HBP have their condition under control. Close to 30% of americans have prehypertension, which means they have a higher blood pressure than normal but not high enough to be considered hypertension, and are at risk of developing hypertension. 1 in 5 american (20.4%) adultes do not know they have high blood pressure.
Having high blood pressure means that the heart is having to work much harder in order to effectively circulate blood around your body. This can be very dangerous if the heart is not able accomplish this which can lead to medical problems. I think that it is important to be informed on the risks of hypertension and the benefits that can come from leading a healthy life. By eating right, exercising, and making the right choices, people can reduce their risk of developing conditions like HBP. It is also recommended that adultes over the age of 18 see their doctor to have their blood pressure checked regularly so, should any complications arise, they can be dealt with immediately before the problems become serious.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001502/
http://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm
"There are over 50,000 strokes in Canada each year. That’s one stroke every 10 minutes."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3483991/k.34A8/Statistics.htm
Due to North America's unhealthy diet, poor lifestyle choices and distractions, Strokes are increasing at an alarming rate. Despite Canada being a 1st world country with universal health care and modern technology in health and medical fields, we're still struggling to suppress this dangerous problem.
"Of every 100 people who have a stroke
■15 die (15%)
■10 recover completely (10%)
■25 recover with a minor impairment or disability (25%)
■40 are left with a moderate to severe impairment (40%)
■10 are so severely disabled they require long-term care (10%)
For every minute delay in treating a stroke, the average patient loses 1.9 million brain cells, 13.8 billion synapses, and 12 km of axonal fibres.15
Each hour in which treatment does not occur, the brain loses as many neurons as it does in almost 3.6 years of normal aging."
http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3483991/k.34A8/Statistics.htm
But there are ways that we can prevent this from happening to us. Reducing stress, becoming physically active and eating healthy balanced diets are very important. As well as not smoking and keeping your cholesterol low. http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3483939/k.16FB/Stroke__Stroke_prevention_and_risk_factors.htm
"Further data indicates that just 7 percent of children attain the recommended 150 minutes of "moderate-to-vigorous" physical activity per week. Notably, the survey showed that adults spend nearly 70 percent of waking hours in a stationary position."
ReplyDeleteHow does exercise help heart disease?
Exercise:
lowers blood pressure, reducing strain on the heart
increases good HDL cholesterol that transports fat away from the arteries and back to the liver for processing
may reduce levels of bad LDL cholesterol that can form fatty deposits in the arteries and contribute to heart disease
improves circulation by preventing blood clots that can lead to heart attack and stroke
increases fat loss
helps weight-loss
builds muscle mass.
It also reduces stress by releasing feel-good hormones called endorphins. Stress and anxiety can slow recovery from a heart attack.
Exercising not only works your muscles, but also your heart. Your heart is the most important muscle/organ you have. It is what keeps you alive. The more you exercise your heart, the less risk you have for a heart attack or stroke. The quote above shows that Canadians are not meeting proper activites levels, therefore their hearts are not being excerised enough. This results in a greater risk of heart disease to canadians. We live in a beauty country with a huge variety of sports available, not to mention miles of beautiful landscapes; SO GET OUT AND GET ACTIVE!!!!
HODGINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The percentage of self-reported heart diseases increase when going from the west coast (being the least) and east coast (being the most)
ReplyDeleteNT - 2.7%
YT - 2.9%
BC - 3.9%
AB - 3.3%
SK - 5.0%
MB - 4.7%
ON - 5.0%
QC - 5.4%
NB - 6.2%
NS - 6.4%
PEI - 5.5%
NL - 6.3%
I believe that the reason why these statistics are like this is because people on the west coast are far more active as opposed to people on the east coast. Mostly due to the climate and the difference between the two. From living in Ontario, people tend to stay inside during the winter. They don't ski or snowboard or do any activities outside in the winter. Since the west coast has a different climate and the land is different, people here do more activities to stay healthy all year around. That's the reason why I believe that heart diseases is less here than it is on the east coast.
"An estimated 40% of Canadians have high cholesterol. As many as 10 million Canadian adults have a cholesterol level higher than the recommended target"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3483991/k.34A8/Statistics.htm
When there is too much cholesterol in the blood, it begins to build up on the walls of the artery. As a result, the arteries become narrowed and the flow of blood slows down or is stopped completely. If the heart does not receive enough oxygen through the blood due to a blockage, this may result in a heart attack. High cholesterol in the blood comes from the excessive intake of foods high in saturated fats such as meat, butter, milk, cream and high-fat cheeses. Trans-fats may cause even more damage than saturated fats. Fried foods, margarine and baked goods are some of the most common sources of trans-fats.
"A diet high in fat raises cholesterol levels in the blood. Cholesterol is a waxy substance that builds up in the bloodstream and can clog or completely block arteries. This can result in heart attack or stroke. Limit your total fat intake to 20 to 25 percent of your total calorie intake to lower your risk for heart disease"
http://www.livestrong.com/article/291290-unhealthy-diets-heart-disease/#ixzz2B5L0fTCX
Fatty foods are one of the most common reasons for high cholesterol levels in Canadians. The availability and low-cost of fast foods cause more people to turn to this diet choice. Choosing healthier foods and limiting fat intake is the most crucial way to keep blood cholesterol at a healthy level, and thus prevent heart disease. In my opinion, educating people about the negative effects of a fatty, unhealthy diet will encourage more Canadians to practice better eating habits and subsequently prevent them from developing heart disease in their lifetime. Encouraging physical exercise, which helps lower cholesterol levels in the blood, is another initiative which will help decrease the number of heart attacks and strokes in Canadians.
Hypertension, is a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated above normal. Being a major risk factor for strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and aneurysms of the arteries, it is important that people know how to control their blood pressure in order to maintain a healthy status of life.
ReplyDeleteEvery 7 minutes in Canada, someone dies from heart disease or stroke.
Heart disease and stroke are two of the three leading causes of death in Canada. These statistics are based on 2008 data (the latest year available from Statistics Canada).1
In 2008 cardiovascular disease accounted for:
29% of all deaths in Canada (69,648 deaths – or more than 69,500)
28% of all male deaths
29.7% of all female deaths
In 2008, of all cardiovascular deaths:
54% were due to ischemic heart disease
20% to stroke
23% to heart attack
Canadians of all ages get more than one-fifth of their calories from "other foods," which are food and beverages that are not part of the Four Food groups. Snacks, that is, food and drink consumed between meals, accounted for more calories than breakfast, and about the same number of calories as lunch. Food consumption among adults is linked to their household income, but not so much among children.
Only 20% of Canadian children receive daily physical education in school, 41% receive one to two days per week, while 10% receive no physical education at all. These numbers get worse as children move through high school.
http://www.heartandstroke.on.ca/site/c.pvI3IeNWJwE/b.3581729/k.359A/Statistics.htm
In my opinion, we could greatly reduce the amount of heart and stroke related medical cases by implementing more physical activity to children. They need to see how their bodies are being affected by the massive amount of fatty foods and other products that are going into their bodies. Encouraging physical activity will help decrease the amount of heart and stroke medical cases in Canadians.
Ischemic stroke
ReplyDeleteAbout 80 per cent of strokes are ischemic, which means they are caused by the interruption of blood flow to the brain due to a blood clot. The buildup of plaque (fatty materials, calcium and scar tissue) contributes to most ischemic strokes by narrowing the arteries that supply blood to the brain, interfering with or blocking the flow of blood. This narrowing is called atherosclerosis. An ischemic stroke is either "thrombotic" or "embolic."
Thrombotic strokes are caused by a blood clot that forms in an artery directly leading to the brain. Embolic strokes occur when a clot develops somewhere else in the body and travels through the blood stream to the brain.
A TIA, or Transient Ischemic Attack which is also known as a "mini-stroke" is caused by a temporary interruption of blood flow to the brain. The symptoms (warning signs) are similar to an ischemic stroke except they go away within a few minutes or hours. Many people can have a TIA without even knowing it. A TIA is an important warning sign that puts you at increased risk of a full-blown stroke.
http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3484151/k.7916/Stroke__Ischemic_stroke.htm
There are 2 types of cholesterol - good and bad. It's so important to keep it at healthy levels because high blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. By lowering your cholesterol, you can dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. High cholesterol can lead to a buildup of plaque in the artery walls, narrowing your arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis. It can make it more difficult for blood to flow through your heart and body, putting you at increased risk of circulatory problems, heart disease and stroke.
http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3484161/k.37F7/Stroke__High_blood_cholesterol.htm
In order to get your high blood cholesterol in check, there are a few things one could do! Reduce your fat intake from 20/35% of your daily calories and choosing healthy fats that are found in fish, nuts and oils. Not smoking is critical, it increases LDL (bad cholesterol). And of course, regular physical activity which can improve cholesterol levels. Since high blood cholesterol is a major risk factor in heart disease and stroke I think it is important for Canadians to get their cholesterol tested, maintain a healthy and balanced diet and incorpate as much physical activity as they can!
Stay active. Exercise protects against CAD by helping the heart work more efficiently, reducing blood pressure, raising HDL cholesterol, decreasing the tendency of blood to form clots, moderating stress, helping the body use insulin, and helping people maintain a healthy weight. Sedentary people who begin a regular program of exercise reduce their risk of a heart attack by 35 to 55%. Low-intensity activities, such as gardening or walking, if done regularly and over the long term, can decrease the risk of heart attack.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wellnessletter.com/ucberkeley/foundations/preventing-heart-disease/#
If I became the Canadian Health Minister I would promote more healthy living by encouraging to eat more home cooked meals and get daily exercise.
By providing and re-using more eco-friendly everyday items that people use such as grocery bags, more friendly cars, etc.
Hypertension - An estimated 76.4 million U.S. adults ≥20 years of age are hypertensive.
ReplyDeleteHypertension is having a high blood pressure in your arteries. Blood pressure is the measurement used to find the force pushing against the walls of your blood vessels as the heart pumps blood through them.
'Even if you have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure, it is important to have your blood pressure checked during your yearly check-up, especially if someone in your family has or had high blood pressure.'
To reduce high blood pressure, several factors must be held under a strict control. Some factors include: Water and salt concentration in your body, kidney and vessel condition and bodily hormone levels.
I would change food regulations to remove high sodium products from the market. Regular doctor checkups would be mandatory.
Doctors should be forced to check back regularly with patient's blood pressure levels to catch any changes early. At that point a strict diet and vitamin intake to modify, control or change the condition.
'In 2010, 17.1% of Canadians aged 12 and older reported having high blood pressure. This was not a significant change from 2009, though it is an increase from 16.4% in 2008.'
"More than a quarter (26%) of Canadian women ages 45 to 64 report a high degree of life stress."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.heartandstroke.on.ca/site/c.pvI3IeNWJwE/b.3581729/k.359A/Statistics.htm
Research shows that there is an association between psychosocial and marital stress and heart disease in women. Findings from the Women's Health Study have shown that women who work in highly stressful situations have a 40% increased risk of heart disease compared with their less-stressed colleagues. A large 15-year study of nurses in Denmark concluded that the greater the work pressure, the higher the risk for heart disease among women ages 51 and under. And in a study of white-collar workers in Beijing, job strain was associated in women (but not in men) with increased thickness of the carotid artery wall, an early sign of cardiovascular disease.
It is unclear how job strain causes cardiac problems. The stress could aggravate inflammation in coronary arteries, leading to blood clots that can trigger a heart attack. Stress also makes it harder to practice heart-healthy habits, such as exercise, a good diet, not smoking, and adequate sleep.
The quote above shows how women's lives are at risk because of stress. Stress is causing people to have a lack of sleep, a lack of exercise, high anxiety, high depression, and many more symptoms. The best solution to reduce stress would be eliminating or avoiding the major stressors in your life, as they most likely are not more important than your health.
There are other steps you can take to reduce stress such as…
-Maintaining healthy and supportive relationships with friends, family, and co-workers.
-Get regular exercise. This is good for the heart, reduces anxiety and depression, and improves sleep.
-Limit interruptions from work in your life outside of work.
-Practice relaxation techniques, such as meditation, deep breathing, progressive relaxation, or visualization.
-If you're feeling overwhelmed, seek help from a mental health professional.
Stroke is when you have high cholesterol that builds up to appoint then breaks causing a blockage in one of your arteries.
ReplyDeleteCholesterol - An estimated 98.8 million adults ≥20 years of age have total serum cholesterol levels ≥200 mg/ dL; 33.5 million have total serum cholesterol levels ≥240 mg/ dL.
-http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/ahamah-public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_434592.pdf
We can reduce cholesterol by eating healthy and have regular exercises. Losing weight is the first step to reducing your cholesterol. To do this take a step back and look at your life style and what you are eating. Try fallowing the food guide and decreasing your fast food intake. You should eat slower and choses healthier fats to ingest.
If I was the Canadian Health Minister I would employ an exercise time in work places and have health representative visit and teach more on health. Schools would have more available and affordable healthy foods for teens and I would try and get younger kid involved in activities and I would employ the video game community to help find a way with a teen and kids to achieve more fitness in family homes.
I would but I place a health code that any obese person over there BMI to be enrolled in a camp. This will not only help them achieve a better life style but will also inspire other not to go and to have a better life style. With a better life style and eating habits will also increase happiness and decrease stress and depression. Hospital would have less sickly because they would all be healthy.
Stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease. It affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it starts to die. When part of the brain dies from lack of blood flow, the part of the body it controls is affected. Strokes can cause paralysis, affect language and vision, and cause other problems. Treatments are available to minimize the potentially devastating effects of stroke, but to receive them, one must recognize the warning signs and act quickly.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.idph.state.il.us/about/womenshealth/factsheets/stroke.htm
To prevent a stroke it is a ideal to keep a physical life style at least 90 minutes a day of physical activity of some sort. Maintaining a stable blood pressure is important to prevent strokes from happening. Choosing a healthy diet and keeping to it and maintaing a normal body weight is essential to preventing strokes.
High blood cholesterol is a major risk for heart disease and strokes,there two types of cholesterol bad and good. It is important to keep your cholesterol at healthy levels, by lowering your cholesterol you are reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. With high blood cholesterol plaque begins to build up in the artery walls, making them more narrower. This condition is called atherosclerosis,putting yourself at a more higher risk of heart disease and increase the the risk of circulatory problems.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3484027/k.8419/Heart_disease__High_blood_cholesterol.htm
Hypertension is a leading risk factor for heart failure, High dietary sodium intake has a major effect on blood pressure and on blood pressure-related complications. Some causes are high dietary sodium intake, obesity and sedentary lifestyle.
Impact of reducing BP through dietary sodium in Canada.
Annual Reduction in incidence of
Myocardial infarction (5%)
Strokes (13%)
Heart Failure (17%)
Reduction in health care costs associated with the overall predicted 8.6% reduction CVD
$1.7 billion per year (1998 costs)
25-30% lower risk of cardiovascular events in those who had been in the low sodium groups (pre-hypertensive patients)
759-1012 mg/day reduction in dietary sodium during.
http://www.hypertension.ca/education
My option people should be more aware on what kinds of food they intake, and be more educated in healthy living styles.
"Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States. It accounts for more than 440,000 of the more than 2.4 million annual deaths. Cigarette smokers have a higher risk of developing several chronic disorders. These include fatty buildups in arteries, several types of cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (lung problems). Atherosclerosis (buildup of fatty substances in the arteries) is a chief contributor to the high number of deaths from smoking. Many studies detail the evidence that cigarette smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/QuitSmoking/QuittingResources/Smoking-Cardiovascular-Disease_UCM_305187_Article.jsp
If I became minister I would promote quitting smoking more than it is being promoted right now.
Getting rid of tobacco sales and promoting less. As well as promoting the bad effects of smoking on the body and heart.
Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
ReplyDeleteHeart disease and stroke are two of the leading causes of death in the United States. But following the Guidelines and getting at least 150 minutes a week (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity can put you at a lower risk for these diseases. You can reduce your risk even further with more physical activity. Regular physical activity can also lower your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol levels.
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/health/index.html
By doing at least 150 minutes of moderate-vigorous physical activity can be very beneficial for your health because it can lower your risk of getting heart disease. So just by having a very active lifestyle you can further your chances of not getting these disease and also lower your cholesterol and high blood pressure.
"Almost 60% of adults ages 18 and over, or 14.1 million Canadians, are overweight or obese."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.heartandstroke.bc.ca/site/c.kpIPKXOyFmG/b.3644453/k.3454/Statistics.htm#heartdisease
A common cause of heart disease is obesity in both adults, and children. Research shows that almost 60% of adults ages 18+ (14.1 million Canadians) are overweight or obese. Almost one quarter of these people (5.5 million) are obese. It is shown that "a greater proportion of sedentary adults, especially women, are overweight or obese, compared to active adults." This is true in children as well; 26% of Canadian children (ages 2 – 17) are either overweight or obese, with the percent increasing with age. (21% : 2 -5 years ; 29% : 12 – 17 years). Children who are overweight or obese are at an increased risk of remaining so in their adult years. Research shows that children reported to spend long hours in front of the television or computer are more likely to be overweight than those who reported less time spent. Obesity can lead to heart disease as an obese person's heart can be over exerted. People who are obese have more body mass due to the increase in body fat. The increase in mass means the person has more blood flowing which is being pumped by the heart throughout his body; the heart needs to work harder to pump blood throughout the body, causing strain on the heart. Obesity can also lead to high blood pressure, and heart attacks.
To reduce the incidence of heart disease, people must engage in more physical activity, especially children. By getting the habits of staying fit at a young age, it is far easier to continue this into adulthood. It’s estimated that if you are inactive and become physically active, you can reduce heart attack risk by 35% to 55%.
In order to improve this statistic, actions need to be taken to encourage physical activity. This could be done by continuing PE in school up until grade 12, shutting down all computers and tv's for a period of time each day to encourage people to go outside or be active in some way, or making gym memberships cheaper.
Physical Activity - Only 20.7% of adults meet the federal guidelines for physical activity. Among 9 through 12 graders, only 37.0% meet the recommendations.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.heart.org/idc/groups/ahamah-public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_434592.pdf
Every day you should have at least 30 minutes of exercise if you want to maintain your body weight. This can be proved difficult to many people. The quote above shows that people are not getting enough, especially kids. Exercising can be boring but making small changes like walking more or even taking the stairs can improve your fitness. With sports being so expensive, it's even hard for parents to put their kids through recreational sports. Physical activity is an important factor for your health, especially for your heart. The more you work your body, the stronger your heart will become and the chance you of getting a heart attack or stroke will decrease greatly. Also exercising daily can prevent diabetes, back pain, body fat which can lead into high blood pressure and osteoporosis. People don’t know how important it is to take care of your body and the consequences if you don't.
•Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. More than half of the deaths due to heart disease in 2009 were in men.1
ReplyDelete•About 600,000 Americans die from heart disease each year—that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.1
•Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing more than 385,000 people annually.1
•In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 34 seconds. Each minute, someone in the United States dies from a heart disease-related event.2
•Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most racial/ethnic groups in the United States, including African Americans, Hispanics, and whites. For Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders and American Indians or Alaska Natives, heart disease is second only to cancer.3
•Coronary heart disease alone costs the United States $108.9 billion each year.4 This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity.
Heart disease can be prevented by a simple concoction of excercise and diet. If you take proper care of your body, you can keep your heart nice and healthy!