Lifestyle Change and Prevalence of noncommunicable disease (NCD) in Sri Lanka

Urbanization and lifestyle changes have both positive and negative effects on human life. The prevalence of non-communicable diseases is one of the negative effects of lifestyle change. Noncommunicable diseases are medical conditions that are not caused by infectious agents and cannot be transmitted from one person to another. Instead, they usually develop over time due to a combination of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors.; chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and mental illnesses are some examples of NCD. The prevalence of NCD increases premature death and disability-adjusted life. Hypertension and diabetes are the most prevalent conditions in Srilanka, leading to other health complications.
Causes for NCD
Unhealthy eating patterns: People used to consume more calories than their bodies need. They consume fewer vegetables and fruits and more carbohydrates like rice and bread than their bodies require. Fast food culture, which includes processed meat and other high-fat foods, is on the rise.
Stagnant lifestyle: With the development of technology, people are working in front of computers long time, and most are using smartphones for their leisure time; most people are not engaging in physical activities; regular physical exercise is limited to certain people in the city.
Addictions: Tobacco use and smoking are one of the leading factors for cancer. Alcohol and other illicit drug lead to physical and mental health disorders.
Chemical exposure: Chemical exposure is a leading factor in cancer and chronic kidney disease.
Stress: chronic stress is a risk factor for NCD and mental health disorder
Obesity: obesity is one of the risk factors for NCD
The prevalence of NCD is a burden on the economy of developing nations like Sri Lanka, and the people living with the condition have a lower quality of life. Promoting multi-level intervention is an effective suggestion for health promotion. Intervention at the state policy level is essential for controlling the condition, and individual effort is also important to change behavior. The health ministry creates public health campaigns at a certain level. Although multiple factors contribute to the cause of NCD, the individual can prevent these conditions by adhering to a healthy lifestyle.
How to prevent NCD condition.
Diet: Eat a healthy balanced diet that contains fiber and nutrition. Choose fruit and vegetables growing locally. Balanced diet to improve physical and mental health.
Avoid packed and processed food. Packed food containing preservatives, food colouring, and other chemicals.
Eat homemade food; food from the restaurant contains flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), and stock with high sodium leads to certain types of cancer, hypertension, and anxiety.
Avoid excessive chemical exposure: it is difficult to avoid chemicals completely because all the food and other products in the market contain chemicals. We can minimize this by using some strategies; for example, we can grow some vegetables for domestic use or choose green leaves such as kathurumoringa or moringa for cooking which grows without chemicals. Avoid cosmetic products; low-quality cosmetic products contain high amounts of chemicals such as arsenic and lead, which can cause cancer and kidney problem.
Physical exercise: regular physical exercise is important for maintaining physical and mental health.
Maintain a healthy weight: most of the population is overweight and unaware of that, so make sure your BMI is less than 25, and you have an ideal waist circumference.
Practice meditation such as mindfulness practices and engage in healthy leisure activities.
Have a good night’s sleep: sleep deprivation or poor-quality sleep lead to physical and mental health problem.
The consequence of NCD would be fatal or lead to complications and lower quality of life; uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes would lead to kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, etc. And that causes economic burden and distress for the whole family. It is distressful to live with lower quality of life. Quality of life refers to a person’s overall well-being and level of satisfaction with various aspects of their lives. It includes psychological, emotional, social, and physical well-being.
Research support that people with a chronic condition can improve their quality of life through health-promoting behaviors such as a healthy balanced diet, regular physical exercise, and quality sleep.
Where to seek help: screening for non-communicable diseases can be done through healthy lifestyle centers (HLC) free of charge. There are HLC centers all over the country, even in rural areas. After the screening, if you are detected with NCD, you will be sent to a state hospital if you need further investigation or treatment.
(only for the purpose of awareness)
Sajidha Halideen