Nutrition, Diet VS. Non-Communicable Diseases

Diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease, all these name are much familiar to us. These diseases are collectively known as non-communicable diseases. NCDs are diseases of long duration and generally slow progression. These are also known as chronic disease. All these are so dangerous not only for us but also for our society, country as well as our next generation and thereafter.

There are many causes of non- communicable diseases but as a nutritionist I want to emphasize only the dietary causes or nutritional causes. Obesity, which is directly related to diet and also related to all NCDs. Now a days these societies are facing a growing epidemic of overweight and obesity, due to the frequent energetic imbalance between energy-dense food consumption and reduced daily physical expenditure.  Economic development together with recent technological innovations and modern marketing techniques have modified dietary preferences, and consequently, led to major changes in the composition of diet. There was a shift towards high fat, refined carbohydrate and low-fibre diet.

The transition in staple consumption is often accompanied by increased consumption of fat, especially saturated fat, as well as sugar and other refined carbohydrates. Thus, even if the starchy staple itself is rarely the main source of fat in the diet, it often determines what types of condiments are eaten with it. Many sauces that are eaten with rice and tubers are much less fatty than cheeses, processed meat, meat products (like sausages) and fat spreads that are eaten with bread. Increased consumption of fats, including saturated and trans fatty acids, and cheap vegetable oils that are more available due to globalization, makes urban people more vulnerable to such nutritional disorders as NCDs. Salt and simple sugar intake also increase at the same time. Eating away from home, which is mainly fast food and junk food is common major causal factors in coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular strokes, several forms of cancer, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, osteoporosis, dental caries, and other conditions.

Global diet is going through a remarkable transition: staple foods are becoming more refined and processed, fruit juice are taken rather than fresh fruits, fat and meat intake is increasing, processed dairy products and other processed foods are consumed more than before, and larger number of meals are eaten outside home, making households more reliant on the food industry, food vendors and markets. The dietary transition is associated with the escalating trends of NCDs.

All these NCDs are ultimately leading to death. We should build up our awareness about these diseases and about their prevention especially dietary prevention, which can free us from the trends of non-communicable diseases. 

Consumption of vegetables and fruit, complex carbohydrate, the amount and quality of fat ingested, and the intake of salt are the most important elements of the dietary prevention of NCDs. Avoiding the Western fast foods are the most effective ways of preventing diabetes and many other chronic diseases. Maintaining normal weight and adequate physical activity also are very important for prevention.