We recently came across a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) about lifestyle and the risk of chronic disease. The report is titled “The Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health” and we wanted to share it with our readers at Simple Natural Weight Loss.

Here is a brief excerpt:

“A few, largely preventable, risk factors account for most of the world’s disease burden. Chronic diseases are the major cause of death and disability worldwide, and increasingly affect people from developing as well as developed countries. This reflects a significant change in diet habits, physical activity levels, and tobacco use worldwide as a result of industrialization, urbanization, economic development and increasing food market globalization.

Noncommunicable conditions, including cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes, obesity, cancers and respiratory diseases, account for 59% of the 56.5 million deaths annually and 45.9% of the global burden of disease. Half of these (17 million annually) are CVD, the majority heart disease and stroke. Five of the top 10 selected global disease burden risk factors identified by World Health Report 2002: reducing risks, promoting healthy life – obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, alcohol and tobacco – independently and often in combination, are the major causes of these diseases.

The scientific evidence is strong that a change in dietary habits and physical activity can powerfully influence several of these risk factors in populations.”

You can read the WHO report here: Global Strategy

Obesity is cited as one of the risk factors which is a major cause of chronic disease, and early death; changes in dietary patterns are one of the reasons for the increased obesity around the world; the report also says that a change in dietary habits can “powerfully influence” several of the risk factors. Obesity is definitely a risk factor that can be reduced by improving dietary habits.

Much of the food we eat today bears little resemblance to food that was being eaten regularly even 50 years ago. There is far more processed food, portion sizes have vastly increased, there are far more food additives and artificial ingredients.

Returning to a simpler diet, based on nutrient dense, natural foods, and avoiding calorie dense, nutrient poor foods is a good way to start a natural weight loss program. You can see our recent post on healthy eating tips here:  Healthy Eating Tips for Natural Weight Loss for some suggestions on what foods to eat more of and what to avoid.