The most famous of all diseases are perhaps the ones that cause complications in the heart or what we scientifically call cardiovascular diseases. According to the world health organization (WHO, 2011), cardiovascular diseases are one of the top killer diseases globally.
What’s more frustrating about their recent post about the said topic last September is that the outbreak of these diseases could have been minimized to a significant level if only people could be aware about the things they could do to prevent their heart and the whole of their cardiovascular system from malfunctioning. Two of the most common causes of cardiovascular diseases or CVDs that could be easily modified are sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits and diet.
In the book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”, Michael Pollan (2006) pointed out the different loopholes that our current food distribution and production system has. It is very well known that a diet that is high in salt and cholesterol and other harmful forms of fat (Trans fat, etc.) could serve as a trigger for an individual to have a heart attack. Yes, factors like genetics and heredity could also play a big role in determining whether an individual may suffer from a heart disease later in his life or otherwise, but when it comes to having a disease, every individual factor counts.
Food and diet will always be an important factor for people to consider whether they are at risks for CVDs or not. Pollan’s book would be extremely helpful for everyone who wants to lessen their risks of having a heart disease because different food acquisition methods were described there with their possible implications to the health and wellness of everyone living in our society.
References
World Health Organization. (2011). Cardiovascular Diseases. WHO Media Centre. Accessed
December 2011. Available at http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs317/en/index.html.
Pollan, M. The Omnivore’s DilemmaL A Natural History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin
Press. 2006. Print.
