Have you ever in mind a question about whether there are more common diseases between the wealthy class in society? Our answer.
The “wealthy diseases” or “wealthy diseases” is a general term indicating a group of cases whose scientific name is “Diseases of Affluence”.
Luxury diseases are chronic “degenerative” diseases that the rate of infection has increased significantly in industrial societies with high income, high living levels, and even with improvement of health indicators.
Mortality rates in the younger age groups decreased to low levels, and the average age expected at birth increased significantly. In these societies today, deaths are often avoided under the age of 40, and mothers of mothers at birth are a very rare event. On the other hand, luxury diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases and cancer, dominate the deaths of over the age of 40.
The high living levels and average life are accompanied by behavioral risk factors, such as increased tobacco use, increased saturated fat consumption, cholesterol, food calories, and low physical activity.
Many developing countries – which are witnessing rapid economic growth – are about to witness today the same transitional phase in the development of their health in industrialized countries.
Wealthy diseases .. It is not exclusive to the wealthy
Chronic diseases associated with diet, known as wealthy diseases, which are caused by excessive calories consumption, which are often associated with high obesity rates in societies around the world, are one of the most important chronic problems associated with excessive calorie consumption.
Among the most important chronic diseases associated with excessive calories consumption of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
These diseases were called “wealthy diseases” due to the high rate of their spread with the increase in material wealth in countries, with a common increase in the availability of meat and calories, in addition to increasing jobs and inactive lifestyles.
The manufactured food system dominates these societies, which means that manufactured foods (such as “non -food” snacks produced in large quantities, sweetened drinks, equipped frozen meals, fast meals, and pasta) occupy a large part of the diet of typical consumers in these societies.
To provide cost and maintain demand, manufactured fats, sugar and salt are used as low -cost ingredients in these foods (such as corn syrup, and secondary oil products from cattle and cotton industries).
The prevalence of these food options means that consumers eat a large percentage of “empty calories” without fiber, high -quality fats, vitamins and adequate minerals, or in some cases adequate protein.
Despite the prevalence of high -calorie and fatty food foods for generations, the spread of these foods, and how to normalize them in concepts such as “American diet” (to which rising consumers aspires in many other countries), is very concerned about the diet as a whole, as it provides a wide range of food options that do not comply with human health.
This anxiety increases in particular with the increasing orientation of consumers towards urban areas. The increasing spread of excess calories has increased obesity rates in North America and Europe.
Moreover, the term “rich diseases” is misleading, as the poor in industrialized countries, as well as in developing countries, are the ones who actually face the greatest impact of these diseases.
The empty calories are often cheap for the poorest slices around the world, which makes the consumption of manufactured diets or which depends heavily on carbohydrates, which do not contain sufficient amounts of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, are more common among the poor.
Moreover, poor families are often less able to afford the costs of the exorbitant consequences of these diseases in the middle ages and the elderly (such as providing insulin for diabetics, the consequences of heart attacks and strokes in the elderly).
Ironically, the same poorest slices in the poorest regions of the world, and even within the United States, may at the same time face the problems of “traditional malnutrition” (i.e. lack of nutrition, insufficient consumption of vitamins, iron, zinc and calories), especially among children and women, in addition to diseases of excessive empty calories.
Fast food and small food markets are expensive, in which processed and unhealthy foods abound, the only food options in many of the poorest areas in the world.
These areas are called difficult to obtain healthy foods at reasonable prices.
Fighting wealth diseases
Many developed countries have achieved a noticeable decrease in the rates of deaths caused by wealthy diseases. Tobacco -free lifestyles, balanced and enhanced diets, and regular physical activity played an important role.
For example, in the United States of America, coronary heart disease reaps 40% less lives compared to 1975, while strokes reap 55% less lives, and Australia and Canada have witnessed similar declines.
Tobacco consumption decreased by 2-3% annually during the past decade in the United States of America, but the decrease in smoking in rich countries is offset by its rise in poor countries. Tobacco has already causes 3 million people annually, and based on current smoking patterns, 7 million people may die annually by 2025.
Currently, developed countries enter a stage in which coronary heart disease, strokes, and even cancer will decrease as threats of longevity and quality of life. Meanwhile, developing countries, with the addition of Central and Eastern Europe now, will be at a stage of the high rate of infection with these diseases.
The knowledge we have today about the prevention of wealth diseases is necessary for its use in addressing the problem.
We conclude by referring to gout, which was known as kings, because it was more common among them as a result of eating large amounts of meat.
At this time, gout has become common to affect the various classes, and it is no longer exclusive to the kings and the wealthy.