Crystal ball not required to see results of risky behavior
Crystal ball not required to see results of risky behavior
Poor choices have lasting impact on healthy future
Bad health habits for most young people are almost a rite of passage. They can range from a diet of pizza and burgers to a pack-a-day cigarette habit. Teen-age and college years often are a time when little thought is given to risky behavior, but will those poor choices made in youth come back to haunt those who made them in later years?
Health educators need to know in order to teach consumers what they can do to repair the damage, reduce the risk, or diagnose and treat diseases caused by unhealthy practices, preferably in the early stages.
Unfortunately, the unhealthy habits of youth can cause problems as people mature, experts say. There are several dangers in embracing a fast-food diet during childhood and adolescence, says Anne Dubner, RD, a nutrition consultant in Houston and a spokeswoman for the Chicago-based American Dietetic Association. Such unhealthy eating develops a pattern that is difficult to break. "I hear the story all the time: When I was younger, I could eat anything.’ Unhealthy eating does carry over because you develop a taste for french fries and for sweets; so it becomes very hard to say no," she explains.
About 50% of Dubner’s clients were diabetics, but that number has jumped. Now about 95% of her clients are diabetics, and she attributes the rise to poor eating habits. "Diabetes doesn’t just appear out of nowhere, it is something that takes years to develop," she says.
The average age for the patients in the cardiac rehab center where Dubner has her office is 47 years old. People who have had bypass surgery often want to know when they can start eating chicken-fried steak again, a Texas favorite that consists of a heavily breaded fried steak covered in cream gravy. "They want to go back to eating their favorite things because it is hard to change habits," says Dubner.
The biggest danger of a fast-food diet is obesity, which puts people at risk for diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems. "If people would lower their weight by just 10% of what it is now, they can lower their risk of heart disease and diabetes by 30% to 40%. Weight loss is the real key," says Dubner.
To lose weight, people simply need to modify their diet and not make any drastic changes. For example, eat pretzels instead of chips. Also, incorporate high-fat items into their diet by planning for them. For example, to have dessert at lunch, choose a grilled chicken salad with low-fat dressing as the entree.
Dubner advises clients to keep a food diary by writing down what they eat, when they eat it, and why so they begin to understand their eating habits and can make modifications. "It is a powerful tool for lowering the risk of future disease," says Dubner.
Never too late
It is never too late to change negative health behavior, says David S. Rosenthal, MD, past national president of the Atlanta-based American Cancer Society, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of Harvard University Health Services in Boston. However, unhealthy behavior, such as too much sun exposure and smoking, puts people at greater risk for cancer.
"There is no question that people who develop skin cancers such as basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, or melanoma have a very strong history of being overly exposed to sun and having had sunburns. The more sunburns during childhood and adolescence, the higher the incidence of developing skin cancers," says Rosenthal.
Those with a history of sun exposure should let their primary care physician know. In this case, people who have multiple moles also should be referred to a dermatologist who will map where the moles are located on their body and the size of the moles. The moles should be checked yearly by the dermatologist and monthly by each individual on his or her own in front of a full-length mirror, according to the American Cancer Society.
Everyone, but especially those fair-skinned people who are at high risk from sunburns or who have a family history of skin cancer, should know the warning signs. For nonmelanoma, the signs are:
• a new growth on the skin;
• a spot or bump that’s getting larger;
• a sore that doesn’t heal.
For melanoma, the warning signs include:
• a mole with ragged or notched edges;
• a mole that is not uniform in color;
• a mole in which one half doesn’t match the other.
Although it is impossible to take away the increased risk of skin cancer from previous exposure to the sun, the risk will become even greater if the behavior continues, says Rosenthal. Therefore, he strongly recommends people at any age, especially children, wear sunscreen. "People who have had sunburn need extra attention in preventing further burn because they will increase their risk even higher for developing skin cancers."
Like sun exposure, the risk for cancer from cigarette and cigar smoking depends on how much people have indulged and for how long. While people who quit are still at a higher risk for cancer than nonsmokers, those who continue to smoke increase their risk for not only cancer, but also lung disease such as bronchitis and emphysema. "The longer the person has been smoking, and the more packs per day smoked, the greater the risk," says Rosenthal.
The danger of lung cancer is that it is difficult to detect in the early stages because there are no warning signs, he says. By the time symptoms appear, the cancer is more advanced. Those symptoms include:
• a cough that won’t go away;
• chest pain aggravated by breathing;
• hoarseness, bloody, or rust-colored sputum;
• a recurring infection in the lung such as bronchitis and/or pneumonia;
• the onset of wheezing.
"Lung cancer is very invasive, and people who smoke have a chronic cough so they don’t pick it up. Usually when you get symptoms such as blood it means it has invaded tissue and is causing bleeding," explains Rosenthal.
However, research shows that when people stop smoking the tissue gradually recovers over a period of five to 10 years. In fact, former smokers lower their risk for lung cancer and other cancers as well, such as esophagus cancer or stomach cancer.
Another risky behavior that can have lasting effects is having unprotected sex with others who may have had unprotected sex. There are three possible consequences to risky sexual behavior, says Debbie Coleman, RN, MS, CS, director of infectious diseases at the Columbus (OH) Health Department. Chances are that the person engaged in the activity will be infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD), he or she will infect future sex partners, and a fetus or newborn child will be infected.
HIV is one of the most feared STDs, and although it can be detected with a laboratory test within six to 12 weeks, an individual may not develop symptoms for six to 10 years. "People assume that if they have ever had blood drawn they were tested for HIV but that is not true. Blood testing is very specific," says Coleman. Therefore people need to know that if they have ever practiced risky sexual behavior they must tell their physician so they can be screened for STDs.
Chlamydia is one of the most common STDs and although it is not deadly, if left untreated it can cause infertility. It is an infection of the reproductive tract that causes swelling and is often so serious a woman is admitted to the hospital. "Chlamydia is very treatable, but if it is not caught early, the scarring can cause infertility," explains Coleman.
The human papilloma virus (HPV), frequently referred to as genital warts, increases a woman’s risk for cervical cancer. Therefore, it is important to be tested for the virus. If a woman has HPV, she should have a pelvic exam with a Pap smear every six months rather than once a year.
It is estimated that one out of eight Americans has herpes — a virus that causes sores similar to blisters. Herpes can be transmitted to an unborn child and can cause brain damage or blindness, says Coleman. If a woman is having an outbreak at the time of delivery, the baby is delivered by cesarean. There is no cure for herpes.
Syphilis, another common STD, often goes untreated because people do not recognize the symptom, which is a small, painless sore that appears on the genitals followed by a rash. "If it is not treated at that stage, it hides in the body and can cause heart disease, mental illness, and blindness," says Coleman.
Sources
For more information about the impact of unhealthy behavior or future health status, contact:
• Anne Dubner, RD, Nutrition Consultant, American Dietetic Association, P.O. Box 440011, Houston, TX 77244-0011. Telephone: (713) 937-7191. Web site: www.foodcop.com.
• American Dietetic Association, 216 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606-6995. Telephone: (312) 899-0040.
• Debbie Coleman, RN, MS, CS, Director, Infectious Diseases, Columbus Health Department, 181 Washington Blvd., Columbus, OH 43215. Tele-phone: (614) 645-7608. Fax: (614) 645-8873. E-mail: [email protected].
• David S. Rosenthal, MD, Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School, Director of Harvard University Health Services, Past President, American Cancer Society. c/o American Cancer Society, 1599 Clifton Road N.E., Atlanta, GA 30329. Telephone: (800) 227-2345 or (404) 320-3333. Web site: www.cancer.org.
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