Every year, the unhealthy diets subtract millions of years of life, not to mention all the deaths caused by poor nutrition; In fact, in the US it is the main cause, as noted by the study of the global disease burden (GBD), an initiative that measures the health of world populations annually and provides mortality estimates. It is never too late to acquire Healthier habits such as walking, not smoking, sleeping well, introducing fruits and vegetables in the daily diet … All this can reduce the risk of mortality by 40% in the next four years and prevent cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer, obesity or diabetes, among other great conditions.
Obesity
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Obesity is a chronic, complex and multifactorial disease, which is considered a pandemic due to its global reach and the millions of deaths it causes. It is not an aesthetic issue; Excessive fat accumulation is harmful to health, increases the risk of more than 200 diseases, From type 2 diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea, to depression, reproductive problems and some types of cancer. But it also affects self -esteem, quality of life and emotional well -being.
According to data from the World Health Organization, in 2022, 2.5 billion adults were overweight (43%), of which more than 890 million were obese. He data is a considerable increase with respect to 1990when the percentage was 25%. It is a problem that also affects the youngest population since the prevalence of overweight (including obesity) among children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 has increased dramatically, from 8% in 1990 to 20% in 2022. Obessed children are very likely to be adults with obesity and also run a greater risk of suffering in adult age, not to mention the psychosocial consequences of their psychosocial consequences equal such as stigmatization, discrimination and intimidation.
At the individual level, people can reduce the risk of obesity by adopting a series of guidelines such as Healthy eating, physical activity, limit the time in front of the screens, reduce the consumption of sweetened drinks … Despite that, people’s feeding and physical activity patterns are largely the result of social and environmental conditions that widely limit personal decisions. As Cristina Petratti stands out, a family doctor and nutritionist, “eating is not just a physiological action, it is also a social and emotional act. It is not just about calories or portions. It matters the environment, the rhythm, the link. Eat slowly, in company, without screens, reconnecting with the internal signals, improves digestion, metabolism and relationship with food.”
WHO points out that obesity is more a social responsibility than individual and solutions are to create environments and communities that integrate healthy eating and regular physical activity among the most accessible behaviors. But it also points out that stop The increase in obesity requires multisectoral measures, related, for example, to manufacturing, marketing and fixing of food prices. The food industry, in turn, can play an important role in promoting a healthy diet: reducing fat content, sugar and salt from processed foods; guaranteeing that there are healthy and nutritious options that are affordable for all consumers; and restricting the commercialization of food with a high content of sugar, salt and fats, in particular those that are directed to children and adolescents.
The food industry can play an important role in promoting a healthy diet
Type 2 diabetes
Another of the collateral diseases that can develop due to poor diet quality, is type 2 diabetes (DM2). A recent study developed by IDIBAPS and CIBER researchers diabetes and metabolic diseases (cyberdem), reveals that the quality of what we eat can be more decisive than obesity in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Traditionally, Excess weight has been seen as the main risk factorbut this investigation shows that, If the diet is healthy, having obesity does not increase the probability of suffering from the disease. On the other hand, a little balanced diet does fire that risk, both in people with obesity and in those who do not have it.
The work focused on 182 over 65 with prediabetes, an especially vulnerable group, since its risk of progressing to diabetes is 50% greater than that of the general population. In this collective, the restrictive diets to lose weight can be dangerous, causing loss of muscle mass, fragility or malnutrition. The researchers also analyzed The intestinal microbiota and found that it was more influenced by the type of diet than by body weight. Those who followed unhealthy patterns, on the other hand, showed bacteria more linked to the risk of diabetes.
A recent study reveals that the quality of what we eat can be more decisive than obesity in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Diet and cancer studies
Researchers from all health disciplines focus their studies on determining what factors can cause certain types of cancer. Many of these reports have directed the gaze towards the patient’s diet, drawing different correlations between what we eat and the diseases that we can develop.
One of these recent studies, ‘Association between the consumption of red and processed meat and the risk of colorectal cancer’, That has combined data from 60 different reports, has determined that consuming many red or processed meats is associated with a significantly higher risk of colorectal cancer.
In this same line there is another investigation, ‘the intestinal microbiota influences the risk of colon cancer associated with the diet’, whose main findings have been that in diets based on red or processed meat it is easy to produce an alteration of the microbiota, which favors variables associated with colorectal cancer. On the contrary, fish-vegetarian diets, with the highest number of fiber, have shown a more protective profile.
In the study ‘Dietary Factors and Stomach Cancer Mortality’, it is observed that people with high intake of green and yellow vegetables had a lower risk of stomach cancer. In addition, the high consumption of processed meats and salty or preserved foods was associated with greater risk.
Alzheimer
Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that progressively affects memory, thought and the ability to perform daily tasks. Although its origin can contemplate genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors, more and more research suggests that certain habits can help delay their appearance or maintain brain health for longer. Among these habits, food plays a fundamental role.
According to Alzheimer’s Konexion, a project driven by Kern Pharma, feeding correctly, balanced and healthy is one of the most effective actions to preserve cognitive function. Recent studies have shown that diets such as Mediterranean are associated with lower brain deterioration compared to other food patterns. This is because the brain needs energy and nutrients to function optimally, and the quality of these nutrients directly influences their long -term health.
The Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, fish and nuts, provides antioxidant and anti -inflammatory compounds that protect neurons. In contrast, the high Consumption of ultraprocessed products It can mean a risk to our health. Fried foods, sugary drinks and, in general, all those products rich in trans fats, added sugars and artificial additives favor inflammatory processes and oxidative stress, factors that damage neurons.
Depression
Beyond physical diseases, more and more professionals are supporting that this change in eating habits helps protect the mind from mental disorders. According to a study by the Research Institute of the Hospital del Mar follow a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean, reduces the risk of depression by 16%.
The Mediterranean diet was the most prominent, reducing by 16% the risk of developing depressive symptoms
The investigation followed for six years more than 3,000 people registered in the Regicor Registry and analyzed the adherence to four types of diets: Mediterranean, vegetarian, Dash (to prevent hypertension) and recommended by WHO. All these guidelines share the importance of consuming fruits, vegetables and legumes, and limiting red and processed meat, although they differ in the weight they give to fish, dairy or sugar. The results show that the better the diet, the lower the risk of depression. The Mediterranean diet was the most prominent, reducing by 16% the risk of developing depressive symptoms.
In a second analysis, with almost 5,000 participants and data from the Padris program for 12 years, a link between diet and depression diagnosis was also observed. In this case, those who followed the healthy diet proposed by WHO They were 19% less likely to develop the disorder.
The diet, together with physical activity, does not replace medical treatments, but it can be an effective complement to prevention and approach to depression
The researchers emphasize that the diet, together with physical activity, does not replace medical treatments, but can be an effective complement in the prevention and approach of depression. In addition, they highlight the need to boost public policies that facilitate access to a balanced diet, especially in vulnerable sectors. The work emphasizes that Depression has multiple causes, some non -modifiable, but the diet is a factor on which it can be intervened.
In the last decade, different studies and meta -analysis have gone through this line of research, showing that healthy eating can decrease the risk of depression, while western diets increase it. Depression in old age can be linked to age factors, such as chronic inflammation, physical diseases or stressful vital events. Since an important part of the cases appears for the first time after the age of 60, the opportunity to Act preventively in previous stages of life.
