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Wake Up Call

Another year has passed, it’s almost 2005, and we’re all another year older.  Let’s see how we’re doing.

The Average American

Currently two-thirds of all Americans are considered to be overweight or obese.  One third has high blood pressure, a quarter has some type of arthritis, and about one out of every seven people is taking antidepressant medication.

As they get older, things only get worse.  The average American gains 2 pounds of fat and loses a pound of muscle per year.  Along with this change in body composition comes a decline in the body’s ability to handle blood glucose.  As a result, about 70% of Americans have at least one symptom of metabolic syndrome, including high blood pressure, high triglycerides or cholesterol, gout, heart disease, diabetes, and cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon.

By the time they are 45, over half of all Americans are on some regular prescription medication.  Approximately half of all men are also showing signs of erectile dysfunction by this time, and about 45% of the population has fatty liver disease.  Other than pain medications, the most commonly prescribed drugs for individuals in this age group are antacids, antidepressants, and drugs to control blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol.  These are all signs that things are not moving in the right direction.

By age 65, over 85% are afflicted with at least one degenerative disease.  Two-thirds will have high blood pressure.  Over 80% will have taken at least one prescription medication in the past month, and nearly half are on three or more prescriptions during any given month.  Over half of all women in this age group have experienced or will experience a fracture due to osteoporosis.

By age 75, those that are still around are often on 5 or more medications.  They typically have weakened immune systems, and their risk for cancer has gone up dramatically.  Many have experienced years of hypertension, obesity, insulin resistance, a sedentary lifestyle, and inadequate nutrition.  Since these are all risk factors for dementia, some experts estimate that 30% or more will come down with Alzheimer’s or some other form of senility.  A low quality of life is pretty typical.

Prevention is the Key

The good news is that the vast majority of all this pain and suffering is preventable.

• Cancer:  Researchers from the National Cancer Institute believe that 80-95% of all cancer cases are due to environmental and lifestyle causes, and are thus preventable.  Diet may be involved in at least half of all cancers, and one third of all cancers are linked to obesity.
  
  
• Dementia:  According to Mark Houston, M.D., Medical Director at Hypertension and Vascular Biology Institute at Saint Thomas Hospital and Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, 95% of all dementia is preventable with a lifestyle approach.
  
  
• Heart disease:  90% - 99% of all heart disease may be preventable. A recent study published in the British Medical Journal estimates a 75% reduction in cardiovascular disease can be attained simply by eating a diet which includes red wine, fish, dark chocolate, fruits and vegetables, garlic, and almonds on a regular basis.
  
  
• Diabetes:  Harvard University’s Walter Willet has estimated that 92% of type-2 diabetes is preventable.

Lifestyle Strategies for 2005

Most people have a difficult time taking action now to prevent a problem that seems to be in the distant future.  Just as a small steady investment program would lift from poverty the 90% of Americans who will face retirement on an income of less than $10,000 per year, certain lifestyle practices will prevent disease and premature death.  Those who would like to consider themselves to be in the other 10% may want to incorporate into their lives the disease-prevention strategies listed below (most of which have been covered in more detail in previous newsletters.)  These are some of the top suggestions:

• Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.  Virtually every day newly discovered plant chemicals from blueberries, garlic, beets, grapes, apples, and other plant foods are found to have health-promoting properties.  Specific compounds currently being studied for their preventative effects on cancer, heart disease, dementia, and other health problems include hydroxytyrosol from olives, epigallocatechin-3 gallate from green tea, and D-glucarate and sulforaphane from broccoli.  The best way to up your consumption of vegetables is to add large salads to your diet on a regular basis.  (And don’t bother counting potatoes when looking at your own vegetable intake).

• Consume a diet high in omega-3 fat, and low in omega-6 fat.  Omega-3 fats are mainly found in fish, flax oil, and wild game.  Omega-6 fats, which tend to increase inflammation in the body, are found in vegetable oils such as corn oil or sunflower oil.  They are also found in corn-fed beef, corn-fed pork, corn-fed chicken, and corn-fed salmon.  In addition to eating wild cold-water fish a couple times per week, the easiest approach is to take a high-quality fish oil supplement, and to quit using vegetable oils (other than olive oil).

• Sharply limit consumption of high-glycemic starchy foods.  Sugar, white potatoes, and most foods made from grains (including bread, rice, pasta, granola, cereal, and pancakes) cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin every time they’re eaten.  This results in higher triglyceride levels, lower HDL (good cholesterol) levels, and an increased risk for heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes.

• Avoid all hydrogenated fats.  These altered fat molecules are found in most packaged foods and most fried restaurant foods, including French fries.  They raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels more than any food known, and also appear to increase the risk of many cancers, diabetes, and the leading cause of blindness, macular degeneration.

• Exercise.  Weight lifting and aerobic exercise are strongly protective against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and dementia, in addition to helping prevent loss of bone (osteoporosis) and muscle (sarcopenia).

Remember, the ball’s in your court.  Your decisions and actions will set your course. Let me know if you have any questions.

Go Long,

Wiley