Change is the only constant. Change is the force behind the proverbial evolution of mankind. And, evolution is an inevitable reality. Each organism, each person, each nation and subsequently the whole world is under constant evolution. Scientific advancement has definitely shrunk the world, and put technology, equipments and gadgets that are designed to give comfort, convenience, speed and enhance the quality of our life. As we evolve from a developing to a developed world, we have an occasion to celebrate. Definitely, there is change in the air! But each gift has a price tag.
Raised standard of living and lifestyle changes associated with this transition are taking a toll on our health. This ‘development’ is showing a significantly adverse impact on our overall health status.
If only we could manage to take a little time out of our hectic lives and think! But not everyone can afford to do that. ‘My-Time’ has become a luxury today. Researches all over the globe have proved it over and over again that though development has brought in the riches and the comforts, ironically it has, as a backlash, taken away the peace, health and contentment from one’s life. Today we have extremely irregular dietary habits due to our busy schedules. We are shifting from whole-some coarse grain based diets to fast foods and refined product diets - all in the name of convenience. Not to mention that we are increasingly becoming less physically active and so is our next generation.
As television and computers turn into a necessity from being a form of entertainment and education our lives are dependent on automation more than ever before. Our vehicles are spouting deathly pollution. Mechanization has substituted physical activity in many spheres of our life. We are becoming increasingly lethargic. Our stress levels are climbing rapidly and as a consequence we are turning to vices like tobacco, alcohol and abuse of drugs, to find solace.
Did we sign up for this when we envisioned development? Are we really on the path to progress? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves. Development, inside and outside, if not balanced, is surely proving to be a double-edged sword.
Development - At What Cost ?
The effects of today’s altered lifestyle are devastating-the results of which are reflected in the health statistics of every single health organisation around the world. Read on and you will find out why we are sounding the alarm.
Below are some facts from W.H.O on some of the major chronic diseases
Diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus is set to double from 177 million in 2000 to about
366 million in 2030.
In 2005, an estimated 1.1 million people died because of Diabetes.
W.H.O estimates that diabetes death will increase by 50% in the next 10 years
Cancer
11.4 m death in 2030 compared to 7.6 M in 2005
In Singapore, Cancer is the biggest killer.
Colorectal cancer – 1200 cases diagnosed yearly,
– 50% are in advance stages.
Nose cancer – 300 New cases diagnosed yearly.
Breast cancer – 1200 cases diagnosed each year, No. 1 killer.
Ovarian cancer – 4th Most common cancer.
Cervical cancer – 200 cases diagnosed each year,
– 5th most common cancer.
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. From a total of 58 million deaths worldwide in 2005, cancer accounts for 7.6 million (or 13%) of all deaths. Deaths from cancer in the world are projected to continue rising, with an estimated 9 million people dying from cancer in 2015 and 11.4 million dying in 2030.
OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY
WHO projects that by 2015, approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese. At least 20 million children under the age of 5 years are overweight globally in 2005. Once considered a problem only in high-income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings.
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
CVDs are the number one cause of death globally. More people die annually from CVDs than from any other cause. By 2015, almost 20 million people will die from CVDs, mainly from heart disease and stroke. These are projected to remain the single leading causes of death. One third of mortality is due to CVD.
Shocking will be an understatement here, wouldn’t it? Needless to say that the scenario does not look very promising! We need to sit up and realize the need to take control. This will be the first step towards the true meaning of evolution. We need to strive for a ‘better’ life. We need to take immediate corrective measures and start from right now! We need to find the connection between worldly development and health, between lifestyle and diseases. Because if there isn’t a healthy life to live can we ever envision what development is? Could we be really happy and content?
Why?
Why are we facing an increment in these diseases even though we believe that we have achieved progress and advancement? What is the main reason? Our fore fathers did not enjoy any of these comforts yet they lived healthier, happier and longer than all of us today.
The Link Between Changing Lifestyle and Falling Health Status
When the association between rapidly changing lifestyle and increasing incidence of disorders was researched and studied in detail the world over, after a long deliberation, scientists were able to pinpoint the culprit. It was found that the oxidative stress generated in the human body was doing the damage. Medicinal sciences have proved the role of oxidative stress in the progress of lifestyle related disorders. This is the key differentiator between us and our fore fathers.
The Generation of Oxidative Stress and Our Current Lifestyle
Our body is the finest specimen of complex mechanisms working together, ever created. Various routine processes like respiration, iron metabolism, putting up a fight with the organisms that enter our body, to name a few, produce these free radicals and are responsible for the generation oxidative stress. With its natural regenerative process, our body easily takes care of these free radicals. But some external factors like pollution in the form of Cigeratte Smoke, Industrial & Vehicle Pollution, Toxin wastes, Chemicals like drugs, pesticides, adultration, Radiation from TV, Monitors, Mobile Phone, UV depletion, etc., increase the hazardous burden of oxidative stress to a very high level. Not to forget the prevalence of and casual attitude towards bad habits (alcoholism, tobacco, smoking, etc.) - these amplify the levels of oxidative stress manifold. Let’s take a look at a few of these factors and understand their mechanisms.
Cigarette smoke
Cigarette smoke contains numerous free radicals that may be an important cause of smoking-related diseases. Exposure to these free radicals is what causes oxidative damage. Oxidative stress due to smoking is also found in passive smokers (simply put, people who are around those who smoke). The problem is that most people who are
exposed to passive smoking can’t do anything about it!
Pollution
Increasing concern exists over the adverse effects of air pollution on our health. Epidemiological studies have shown a clear association between heart diseases, respiratory disorders, deaths and air pollutants. The culprit here is, again, the oxidative stress caused by these pollutants through the generation of free radicals. And again, there’s nothing or very little we can do to alleviate this stress in a short term.
Infections
A foreign organism, after its entry into the human body, finds a specific place and gets lodged there. After it gets comfortable in its chosen environment, it multiplies and increases drastically in number. These large numbers of the organisms form a colony at that particular site and are responsible for damage to the site, in some cases throughout the body. This is an infection. And in any infection the body is exposed to danger through the generation of oxidative stress by the free radicals.
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is the physical and emotional dependency on the use of alcohol. An alcoholic is so enslaved to this
addiction that quitting drinking or, in some cases, even a reduction in the consumption causes serious physical and
emotional withdrawal symptoms. Chronic alcohol consumption is associated with increased incidence of many
illnesses like gastritis, ulcers and cancer. It will result in increased oxidative stress due to the formation of free radicals. Alcohol induced liver injury may be linked, at least partly, to an oxidative stress resulting from increased free radical production and/or decreased antioxidant defence.
Radiation
Willingly or otherwise, all of us are suffering the devastating effects of Radiation in various forms. Ask the software developer who spends 18 hrs a day in front of a computer monitor or a stock broker who is always hooked onto his mobile for buying or selling the stocks or the reporter who moves around under the UV rays of the scotching sun to cover the news or simply the exhausted executive of today who tries to find solace in the comfort of a TV program in the night – All of them have one common issue – Radiation from unavoidable, but excessive use of these. Radiation is known to generate excessive free radicals in the body.
Chemicals & Pesticides
The most dangerous and invisible killer in the modern world. Recent reports have linked obesity in kids to excessive use of chemicals by mothers during pregnancy. Many pills and capsules, meant for curing illness, have actually generated many long term defects and deficiencies. By excessive use of harmful pesticides, we are able to harvest rice in 3 weeks compared to the 12 weeks that our fore fathers took and, sadly, die at 30 while our fore fathers lived till a healthy 100 years or more.
Globalised Work environment
Internet, e-Mail, telephone, mobile, fax, video calls have all shrunk the world and brought fierce competition across the globe on to the work table. Imagine the stress on the human body due to this. Psychological pressure due to this globalised work environment has led to havoc in families across the globe.
Then there are some life style factors that are responsible for the reduction in the intake of a sufficient
and healthy amount of dietary antioxidants
Irregular dietary habits due to busy schedules.
Unbalanced diet due to fast food culture.
Shift from coarse grains to refined products that do not contain sufficient amount of antioxidants.
Reduced physical activities reduce appetite and prevent sufficient intake of dietary antioxidants.
We want convenience, rather an easy way in all our eating habits. We don’t have the time to cook fresh meals so we use preserved food that obviously lacks nutrition. We don’t have time to eat so we choose an inferior but quicker option- fast food. And, we don’t exert ourselves to sufficient levels of physical fitness, which further aggravate the problem.
This is the main reason why individuals in developing countries require additional antioxidant support from nutritional supplement. A large number of natural antioxidants have demonstrated their beneficial effects on the human health and in disease prevention.
Urbanization is responsible for this additional burden of oxidative stress and our supposedly “modern”, but deviously unhealthy, food habits prevent sufficient intake of dietary antioxidants.
Cigarette smoke contains numerous 
Increasing concern exists over the adverse effects of air pollution on our health. Epidemiological studies have shown a clear association between heart diseases, respiratory disorders, deaths and air pollutants. The culprit here is, again, the
A foreign organism, after its entry into the human body, finds a specific place and gets lodged there. After it gets comfortable in its chosen environment, it multiplies and increases drastically in number. These large numbers of the organisms form a colony at that particular site and are responsible for damage to the site, in some cases throughout the body. This is an infection. And in any infection the body is exposed to danger through the generation of 
Alcoholism is the physical and emotional dependency on the use of alcohol. An alcoholic is so enslaved to this
addiction that quitting drinking or, in some cases, even a reduction in the consumption causes serious physical and
emotional withdrawal symptoms. Chronic alcohol consumption is associated with increased incidence of many
illnesses like gastritis, ulcers and cancer. It will result in increased
Irregular dietary habits due to busy schedules.
