Are some health problems our own doing?

There is no doubt that our diet
has a vast impact on our health but
it can't cure everything.

Constantly through the media and government health advice we are exposed to statements like '40% of cancers could be prevented by changes in diet and lifestyle' suggesting that the cause of illnesses can be simply divided into two categories: those that are either down to bad luck, unknown causes and genetics, and those are the result of sloth, overindulgence and poor lifestyle choices (smoking, recreational drug use, binge-drinking).  

Illnesses such as congenital heart disease or type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes and some kinds of cancer are unrelated to lifestyle and more associated with genetics.  In recent years, research is emerging into altering gene expression (we cannot change our genes but it is possible to manipulate which genes are expressed) with nutrition.  It is a fairly new field and it will be a very long time before it becomes mainstream but might provide a means of lowering risk of such illnesses in the future. 

erm, even if that was true
we can't really do
anything about that can we?

Heart disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes are sometimes referred to as 'diseases of affluence.' Gout is associated with consumption of rich foods. Breast cancer is often linked with high alcohol consumption and being overweight. I often see in the media articles or posts about how many incidences of depression could be avoided if only people took more exercise, spent more time in nature, ate more omega-3 rich food etc (As someone who has depressive episodes despite doing all those things, this seriously irritates me!). Whilst I don't dispute the idea that our lifestyle impacts on our health, it certainly does, I think this is over-simplistic and can appear quite accusatory and judgemental.

Those who have had or have witnessed somebody close to them having a serious illness might feel that saying it could have been prevented is suggesting that the illness is a punishment for not having been healthy enough.  When you or the person with the serious illness are someone who makes a great deal of effort to live a healthy lifestyle or sees other people who live a far less healthy lifestyle without getting ill it can feel seriously unjust.  

My view is that: a) whilst some illnesses might be more associated with genetics and others with lifestyle, all are multi-factorial, do not have one sole cause and can affect anyone and b) the belief that a health problem is one's fault is extremely unhelpful and detrimental.

Are 'diseases of affluence' our fault?

There are instances when people try very hard to main a healthy lifestyle but still end up with these illnesses.  We can only control what happens to us to a certain extent but avoiding over-eating, binge-drinking, smoking, recreational drug use and being sedentary can dramatically help reduce disease risk. What is important as well as highlighting these factors is examining the reasons why people do these things and what the barriers are to stopping.

How lovely it would be if it were as simple as that
What about people who have physical disabilities
as well as mental health issues and can't
exercise or have difficulty exercising?

With regard to the lifestyle factors, there might be a number of reasons why people overeat or abuse drugs and/or alcohol, but what these behaviours all have in common is that they're all methods (albeit unhealthy ones!) of coping with stress.  Most people experience stress in our lives in some form whether it's due to work, studying, family and relationship issues or financial troubles. I believe stress has a vast impact on our health and even those who don't binge eat, smoke or drink aren't immune to its effects. There are of course healthy ways of dealing with stress i.e. exercise, therapy, spending time in nature, taking a holiday.  The trouble is, access to all of these can be limited by our life circumstances.

What are the barriers to coping with stress healthily?

Disablities

I'm very much in favour of people being active but physical and mental disabilities can restrict the range of exercises a person can do.  

dance or exercises classes can
often be intimidating

I have family members who have disabilities such as MS and arthritis who can't simply go for a walk or run in order to boost their mood.  Additionally, people (particularly those with mental health issues) can feel very self-conscious about their weight, physical appearance and level of energy and fitness and exercise can feel like their idea of hell.  During bouts of severe depression, I've tried going to the gym and it doesn't make me feel better at all. The health benefits of exercise are constantly communicated to us through the NHS and media.  You'd have to be living under a rock not to be aware that exercise benefits our health.

Constantly shaming people for not exercising or for needing medication to reach a place where they're able to exercise is seriously unhelpful.

Financial issues
Some people are fortunate enough to have disposable income that can be spent on healthy ways of dealing with stress (exercise classes, private therapy, massage, a short break). Others unfortunately struggle to pay their bills and cover the essentials and this can limit access to these. Whilst some exercises

all of these are good ideas but
not always possible. 
It's -1 degrees right now so getting outside
wouldn't reduce stress! 😆😆😆

are free or inexpensive (running, walking, gardening) others cost money, not just for the classes but for the sportswear or dancing/running shoes people might need for them.  Some exercises can be done at home but many people (me included!) live in quite cramped housing where there is hardly any space.

With regards to therapy for mental health, some is available free on the NHS, there are some self-help books that can be borrowed free from some libraries and some non-profit organisations such as MIND offer counselling.  The problem is, with mental health issues being as common as they are, there are often very long waiting lists and in some cases if people waited until therapy was available before getting any sort of treatment they would take their own lives.  From personal experience I can definitely say that reading, eating well and exercising is not always sufficient to help someone with depression.  There might not be any perfect medication with no side effects but it is sometimes necessary.

I've written about the costs of eating healthily in my blog: 
http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk
/2016/09/is-eating-healthily-expensive.html

Time Poverty! 

Getting adequate rest and sleep is definitely important in reducing stress and increasing our well-being. There are some people who make their lives busier than necessary  due to competitiveness or a 'workaholic' personality. On the other hand, many people are in a position where taking a break is not an option.  Parents and those who have caring responsibilities can often find it almost impossible to find a time when they can take a break.  Many people are having to work long hours or several different jobs in order to pay their rent/mortgage and bills. It's no wonder that people often resort to quick and more affordable fixes to relieve stress.

don't judge, support one another! 

Perhaps there are some people who are just a bit careless and overindulgent but I think a lot of the time people are just engaging in not-so-healthy habits as a response to daily life pressures.  Which is not people's fault!


I'm certainly not suggesting that people should continue to depend on junk food, cigarettes and alcohol forever in order to relieve stress, just that it's understandable when you look into the reasons why. I wholeheartedly admire the NHS and truly believe that people should try as hard as their circumstances allow them to maintain good health in order to reduce strain on its services.  I just believe a little bit more support and a bit less judgement would go a long way! 

x