|
|
  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Health expectancy can be increased 5-10 years, says report
By Saundra Young
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Unhealthy habits common in wealthy countries -- such as smoking, drinking, and overeating -- are becoming prevalent in developing countries, where, coupled with risk factors in those countries, are shaving off years of healthy life, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. The WHO called the contrast between rich and poor people shocking: "The burden from many of the risks is borne almost exclusively by the developing world, while other risks have already become global," it said in a news release that accompanied its World Health Report 2002. One major difference, the report notes, is that while some 170 million children in poor countries are underweight, mainly from lack of food, more than 1 billion adults in richer countries are overweight or obese. According to a report earlier this month from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States nearly 59 million people 20 years and older are obese, and among people ages 6 to 19, three times as many are obese as in 1980. The report lists the following as the top 10 preventable health risks in the world: •childhood and maternal underweight •unsafe sex •high blood pressure •tobacco •alcohol •unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene •high cholesterol •indoor smoke from solid fuels •iron deficiency •overweight/obesity "This report brings out for the first time that 40 percent of global deaths are due to just the 10 biggest risk factors, while the next 10 risk factors add less than 10 percent," WHO senior science adviser, Alan Lopez, said. Cardiovascular disease is the top cause of death in the world, according to medical statistics, with more than three-quarters of the cases resulting from tobacco use, high blood pressure, or cholesterol. The WHO says that combined government and individual efforts against major health risks in the world could add five healthy years to the lives of people in developed countries and an extra 10 years to those in most of the poorest countries. And in parts of Africa such as Malawi, where current healthy life expectancy is as young as 37 years, 16 or more years of healthy life could be added, the WHO said. The report recommends steps that could be taken to counter each risk factor and to improve health worldwide. It suggests governments consider partnerships with the food industry to reduce the salt content of processed foods, which along with agricultural and trade policies are changing the diet of millions, or community interventions to reduce salt and treat people who are at risk for a cardiovascular event within 10 years. To battle nutritional deficiencies in developing countries, the report says, making vitamin and mineral supplements available would be very cost-effective. It also urges counseling new mothers to continue breast feeding and providing complementary food as necessary. To counteract the effects of tobacco, the report notes that a substantial increase in tobacco taxes would produce significant health benefits at very low cost. The WHO report gave the following statistics on various risk factors: •In developing countries, underweight children account for more than 3 million deaths a year. The WHO estimates 27 percent of children under age 5 are underweight, and 3.4 million of them died in 2000, mostly in Asia and Africa. •High blood pressure causes an estimated 7 million premature deaths each year, tobacco almost 5 million, and high cholesterol more than 4 million. •Smokers of all ages have death rates two to three times higher than non-smokers. •Alcohol causes almost 2 million deaths a year and is linked to esophageal cancer, liver disease, epilepsy, motor vehicle accidents, and homicide and other intentional injuries. •HIV/AIDS, spread primarily by unsafe sex, is now the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Of the 40 million people currently infected, 70 percent are in Africa. But the next phase of the epidemic is expected in India, China, and the former Soviet Union. • Life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa is currently about 47 years; without AIDS it would be around 62. •Risks such as unsafe sex and tobacco consumption could increase global deaths substantially in the next few decades and could decrease life expectancy in some countries by as much as 20 years unless they are brought under better control. •Diet changes, along with changes in living and working patterns that have led to less physical activity, have brought about a rise in obesity rates of threefold or even more in some parts of North America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Pacific Islands, Australia, and China since 1980. •Obesity kills about 220,000 a year in the United States and Canada, and about 320,000 in Western Europe. High blood pressure and high cholesterol, often seen in overweight people, are even more deadly when combined with tobacco. It's estimated there were 4.9 million deaths attributable to tobacco in 2000, up more than a million from 1990.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
