Jerry slumped into his chair exhausted. His children begged him to join them playing driveway basketball, but he couldn't. His knees hurt, he had no energy, his breathing was short and he had a headache. Jerry really wanted to have energy, to feel good and to live a full abundant life and he really didn't know why he felt so bad. Yes, he had gained quite a bit of weight over the last few years, but he thought of himself as a "big guy" and didn't believe some extra weight could be this limiting. Surely something was really wrong with him.
Concerned, he made an appointment with his doctor and was diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome, a cluster of health related conditions including high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, elevated blood glucose and insulin intolerance, high blood counts of both triglycerides and bad cholesterol, and a pro-inflammatory state. Jerry knew he had been feeling bad, but he didn't realize it was this bad. He asked his doctor what caused Metabolic Syndrome. His doctor answered, "Jerry, you did this to yourself. You are digging your grave one fork-full at a time."
The shock of this response overwhelmed Jerry. Why would he choose to feel this badly? He didn't do anything. But that was the problem. Jerry didn't realize that his unhealthy lifestyle choices contributed little by little, day after day, over many years to this potentially deadly cluster of physical problems. Metabolic Syndrome is a precursor to heart disease, diabetes, and even certain types of cancer. This was Jerry's wake-up call.
Like Jerry, too many people wake up one day and find themselves in really poor health. Unfortunately Metabolic Syndrome and other lifestyle diseases including heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and obesity do not occur overnight. A lifestyle disease is one linked to the way a person lives and the choices he or she makes each day. Unlike a bacteria or virus that make you sick over a short time, the choices that lead to lifestyle diseases are made every time a person chooses what to eat, whether to not to be physically active, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or take recreational drugs. And, while the occasional "treat" food or day on the couch won't lead to chronic disease, a pattern of unhealthy choices day in and day out will lead a person down this deadly path.
Lifestyle diseases
Decrease physical energy level.
Lower one's desire for activity.
Consume monetary resources on medical treatments and medications,
Limit mobility.
Require assistance from others for basic personal hygiene and care.
Increase joint pain.
Interfere with healthy sleep patterns.
Increase the risk of depression and other emotional challenges.
Increase the likelihood of experiencing traumatic health incidences such as diabetic shock, strokes, and heart attacks.
Reduce one's overall feeling of self-worth and self-confidence
Why would someone choose these negative consequences? God did not design the human body to live this way. Our bodies can be strong, fit, and healthy, but those things require positive health choices of food, physical activity, stress management, and abstinance from harmful substances.
The good news about lifestyle diseases is that they can be reversed and prevented by choosing positive behaviors. Here are some of the many changes we can make:
Limit portion sizes.
Eat more meals at home and fewer in restaurants.
Instead of snacking on junk food, choose fruits and vegetables.
Instead of fatty hamburgers, hot dogs, and cold cuts, choose lean poultry and beef and fish.
Instead of white flour based breads, muffins and sweet rolls, choose whole grain breads, brown rice and sweet potatoes.
Consume low and nonfat dairy sources.
Omit fried foods from your eating plan.
Become more active. Begin by walking. Find other activities to get strong including running, weight training, fitness classes and swimming.
Manage stress through prayer, journaling, and sharing your thoughts and feelings with trusted people.
Just as you didn't go to bed healthy one day and wake up unhealthy the next, the solution will not be instant. It happens one choice at a time. As you make positive health choices you will begin to experience better health and move toward