Most of the top causes of American deaths are chronic diseases, according to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You can reduce your risk of developing these diseases by adopting a healthy diet. Risks of eating an unhealthy diet include obesity, heart disease and nutrient deficiency diseases such as osteoporosis and anemia.
Obesity
An important component of healthy eating is consuming the right amount of calories, or energy, from food. You must balance the calories you eat with the calories you use for daily life and physical activity in order to maintain your weight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Eating too many calories can lead to weight gain and eventual obesity, which can increase the risk for many chronic diseases. Examples of chronic conditions that are more likely to affect obese individuals are Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, breathing disorders and heart disease. A key recommendation in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is to eat nutrient dense foods so that you can meet your vitamin and mineral needs while staying within your calorie limit.
Heart Disease
An unhealthy diet can increase your risk of developing heart disease. Bad fats, cholesterol and added sugars may lead to dyslipidemia, or unhealthy levels of blood lipids such as high triglycerides, high LDL cholesterol or low HDL cholesterol. Each of these is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, saturated and trans fats and dietary cholesterol can increase bad LDL cholesterol levels or decrease good HDL cholesterol levels. Eating too much fat, which is high in calories, or added sugars, which provide empty calories without nutrients, can make it difficult for you to stay within your calorie limit and avoid weight gain.
Deficiency Diseases
Eating an unhealthy diet can result in risks for nutrient deficiency diseases. For example, strong bones require sufficient amounts of calcium, a mineral that you can get from foods such as milk and other dairy products, soy milk, and fortified cereal. Insufficient calcium can lead to osteoporosis and an increased risk for bone fractures. Anemia is another condition that can result from nutrient deficiencies, and it occurs when you do not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry sufficient oxygen to the cells in your body. If you do not get enough iron from your diet, you can get iron-deficiency anemia, which MayoClinic.com states is a common form of anemia in the United States. Lack of vitamin B12 or folate can also cause anemia.
Member Comments