Risk Of Heart Disease And Cancer example essay topic

In Hey Men, Get Healthy! by Holly McCord, RD (McCord holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. and a master's degree in nutrition from Immaculate College. She completed her dietetic training at Bryn Mawr Hospital in Bryn Mawr, Penn.) and Gloria McVeigh (Assistant Nutrition Editor) authors of such other articles as "Way Beyond Low Fat" and "Fast Tips for Savvy Eaters", the authors challenge Men to improve their diet and lifestyle to prolong their life as well as well as maintain health. Men were "significantly less likely than women to believe that widely recommended changes in diet and lifestyle could actually reduce their risk of disease" (McCord and McVeigh, par. 1). Therefore these two ladies set it upon themselves to attempt to educate men on four simple and widely recommended changes to lifestyle that could improve lifespan and reduce risk of disease.

These four simple steps of reducing fat intake, eating more fiber, staying fit, and quitting smoking are outlined as important solutions to assisting maintaining a healthier lifestyle. This article is a basic guideline for Men to improve their health with easy methodology that can be substantiated with evidence from many periodicals and research literature. The first step outlined in the article is the reduction of fat intake in the diet. In the article Dietary Fat - How Much, What Kind There is an outline that presents the results of increased dietary fat including the increase in cholesterol levels which results in atherosclerosis.

McVeigh and McCord present an important point that fat in the diet especially in those men that consume 40-45 percent of their diet in fat are highly susceptible to being overweight, developing cancer, and heart disease. In an article entitled 5 WAYS TO FIGHT FIVE BIG HEALTH RISKS the authors concur that the reduction of fat can reduce the risk of Problem Skin, Diabetes, and Cancer. Evidence that eating less Fat can reduce the risk of Heart Disease was found in the article TAKING FOOD TO HEART-six ways to keep your heart healthy that states: Page 3 We also know that a balance of fats in our diet is what's important, including: monounsaturated (like olive oil and nuts) and polyunsaturated (like marine and flax oils) varieties. In fact, by eliminating traditional stick margarine, reducing our consumption of fat-laden fast food and foods labeled with "partially hydrogenated" oils, and by increasing our intake of the good fats (like olive, DHA [marine] and flax oils), we " ll be on our way to a heart-healthy diet. These articles all correspond with the McCord's and McVeigh's findings of the importance of reduction of fat in improving health and longevity. The second step stated to improve health is the eating of fiber and it is written in the article that: Since the early 80's a great deal of data has emerged extolling the benefits of a high fiber diet.

A Japanese study indicated that eating green and yellow vegetables to be protective against prostate cancer. The Japanese men in the study ate over 250 percent more of these veggies than American men. The researchers made the conjecture the difference in the occurrence of this type of cancer between the two countries may be attributable the difference in green and yellow vegetable intake. These vegetables provide the body with lots of beta carotene. The high Fiber diet was found to reduce risks of cancer keep the patient regular. In the Articles THE LOWDOWN ON FIBER and Fiber To The Rescue states that increasing fiber in the diet would result in reduction of the absorption of fat.

The article Fiber To The Rescue states that "Scientists at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center found that if you up the fiber in your meals to the recommended 20 to 3 0 grams a day without adding calories, you " ll absorb less fat". This is important to show that fiber has benefits such as the reduction of heart disease by reduction of fat intake in the average male. The Lowdown On Fiber is also important in presenting the benefits of fiber stating Page 4 that "when fiber absorbs water and swells up in the intestines people feel satisfied with fewer calories. Other health bonuses from dietary fiber are a steady blood sugar level, cholesterol regulation and better bowel elimination". Research also shows that the high fiber in the diet can reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer as is shown by research: Dr. Denis Burkitt, a British surgeon who spent 20 years in Africa, is the pioneer of fiber research. While in Uganda, he observed that heart disease and cancer are virtually nonexistent among rural Africans.

Those who ate a coarse and fiber-full diet did not suffer, as do Americans, the diseases of constipation, hiatal hernia and varicose veins. The Africans average a total of 25 grams of fiber per day and with this increased bulk their stools have a shorter bowel transit time, approximately 30 hours, instead of the 70 hours or more for the average American. A shorter transit time, as previously explained, means less time for bile wastes to decompose into toxic substances. Bacterial putrefaction is also minimized. In the article Eleven Healing Foods there is further proof that fiber has healing properties.

It states that of these eleven foods six were chosen for their high content in fiber and states that it helps the body rid itself of cholesterol and lowers the risk of heart disease. Overall it is possible to surmise that the evidence and data presented in the article stating that fiber is important to a healthy life. The next important step presented in improving health is the maintenance of fitness through exercise. The article states that: Regular exercise can fight against heart disease, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, overweight, stress, osteoporosis, constipation, and maybe cancer. The Center for Disease Control likens a totally sedentary lifestyle to the effect on heart disease risk of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

A further validation of this finding comes from a New Zealand study involving 2300 men and women. Fifty-three percent of the heart attacks in the sample subjects could be attributed to a lack of exercise. Page 5 This evidence cannot be refuted with the wide amount of medical research available. There are numerous articles available to show the benefits of exercise in lowering blood pressure by which a reduction in Hypertension is the result.

In the Article 7 Perks of Exercise there are numerous mental and physical benefits to maintaining a exercise regime including the reduction of the risk of Cancer. As the article states: Sustained exercise seems to be a key to cancer prevention. According to a 1997 Norwegian study of 25,000 women aged 20 to 54, a significantly smaller risk of developing breast cancer was found among women who regularly engaged in at least four hours a week of physical exercise. Colon cancer also occurs less frequently among people who exercise. Exactly how exercise lowers cancer rates is still unknown, but researchers theorize that it may boost the immune system's ability to detect and kill cancer cells Also included in the article are benefits such as reduction of osteoporosis, strengthens muscles and bones, provides enjoyment and "Any physical activity can help lower blood pressure, but we chose walking because it's so easy", says Kerrie L. Moreau, PhD, research associate at the University of Colorado in Boulder. It is evident that physical activity is a key building block to health and fitness.

The final step considered necessary by McCord and McVeigh was cessation of smoking. It was the importance of reducing the hazardous effects of smoking that was the focal point of their argument. In the article The Risks Of Smoking Ellen Brown presents data to that states that "cigarette smoke is made up of over 4,000 chemicals, including 43 known to cause cancer". According to the American Cancer Society, tobacco use accounts for 30 percent of all cancer deaths in the United States, and smoking is responsible for 90 percent of lung cancers in men and more then 70 percent in women. These statistics alone show that quitting smoking is important in reduction of life threatening cancer. In the article Are Some Risks of Smoking More Potent than Others? it is stated that the primary cause of death among smokers was not lung cancer but heart disease because "smoking is a significant cause of the clogging of cardiac blood vessels".

It can be concluded that not only is there evidence to be in agreement with McCord and McVeigh's stipulation that smoking is a primary health concern but it is especially a threat for Men causing 90 percent of deaths due to lung cancer. Page 6 In conclusion McVeigh and McCord have presented in their article Hey Men, Get Healthy! many important and viable methods for Men to improve their health. Their arguments were basic and considered fundamental in the area of health and evidence gathered did not refute their arguments. Their four steps to better health of reducing fat intake, eating more fiber, staying fit, and quitting smoking are vital and simple solutions to reduce the risk of such problems as hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. Their research in improving longevity for men can be backed up by various scientific studies and articles.

It is in my opinion that this is a good article to read for men to improve quality of life for years to come. 1. Doherty, B. Harrar, S. (2002). Walk This Way to Beat High Blood Pressure.

Prevention, May 2002, Vol. 54 Issue 5, p 42, 2 p, 1 c 2. Brown, E (1999) The Risks Of Smoking. FDA Consumer, May / Jun 99, Vol. 33 Issue 3, p 9, 1 p 3. Whelan, E.M. (1999) Are Some Risks of Smoking More Potent than Others? Priorities for Health, Sep 99, Vol. 11 Issue 3, p 16, 1 p 4. Dietary Fat - How Much, What Kind?

Health & Stress, 1999 Issue 8, p 3, 4 p 5. Maran dino, C. Eleven Healing Foods. Vegetarian Times, Jun 2002, Issue 298, p 56, 6 p 6. B utterer, K. Fiber To The Rescue. Health, Sep 97, Vol. 11 Issue 6, p 38, 1/6 p 7. Gittleman, A.L. The Lowdown On Fiber.

Total Health, Nov / Dec 97, Vol. 19 Issue 5, p 12, 2 p, 1 chart, 1 c 8. Me ndola, K.F. Health Maintenance Kit: Stay Fit on the Road. Yoga Journal, Apr 99 Issue 145, p 81, 1 p 9. Swann, L. 5 Ways to Fight Five Big Health Risks, Heart & Soul, Sep / Oct 98 Issue 29, p 102, 2 p 10.

Study: Majority of Middle-Aged Americans at Risk of Developing Hypertension. FDA Consumer, May / Jun 2002, Vol. 36 Issue 3, p 7, 1 p, 1 bw 11. Study finds DASH Diet, Reduced Sodium Lower Blood Pressure in All FDA Consumer, Mar / Apr 2002, Vol. 36 Issue 2, p 7, 2/3 p 12. Ke ville, K. Taking Food To Heart.

Better Nutrition, Sep 2001, Vol. 63 Issue 9, p 54, 4 p 13. Sandro ff, R. 7 Perks of Exercise. Vegetarian Times, Mar 99 Issue 259, p 52,.