Abel Smith
What does it mean to be healthy?
In the Preamble to its Constitution, which came into force in 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not only the absence of diseases or illnesses.”
This state and the absence of disease have a direct impact on our quality of life and the years that we enjoy it. In fact, medical advances and increased economic development have allowed Spaniards to live longer. Thus, in recent decades, life expectancy has improved greatly throughout the world and also in Spain, which, according to data from the WHO publication “World Health Statistics 2014”, is among the top ten countries in the world with longer life expectancy. Spanish women are, in fact, the longest living in the world, only behind Japanese women (85.1 years on average compared to 87.0), while Spanish men have a life expectancy of 79, 99 years.
However, at the same time, this situation has given rise to an older population: according to the “Nutritional Guidance Guide for the Elderly” published by Madrid Salud, in Spain 16% of the population is already over 65 years of age and this percentage is expected to reach 20% in 2020.
Do we Spaniards stay healthy?
According to the barometer of February 2015 published by the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), Spaniards perceive that in general they have good health: 71.4% say it is “good” or “very good”, compared to 28, 6% who consider it “fair”, or “bad or very bad”. At the same time, one in ten Spaniards claim to have suffered difficulties often or very often in their work or in carrying out household tasks in the last month for health reasons, while 16.3% claim to have suffered some ache or pain In this sense, according to the results of the latest “National Health Survey”, which the INE published in 2013, in the previous five years there was an increase in chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes .
What diseases affect us the most?
According to data recently published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), diseases of the circulatory system remained the leading cause of death in 2013 (rate of 252.1 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants), followed by tumors (238 , 3) and diseases of the respiratory system (91,4). Nervous system pathologies, including Alzheimer’s, were the fourth leading cause of death (46.1).
In addition, there are a number of health problems and diseases that are as serious as they are common and, however, in many cases, are preventable. Among them are the following:
Cardiovascular diseases: these are pathologies that can affect the heart (heart attack, angina pectoris and heart failure) and other organs, such as the brain (hemorrhage or cerebral infarction) or the kidney (renal failure). Its appearance is determined by risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia (too high blood cholesterol levels) and hypertension (too high blood pressure).
Diabetes: This is a chronic condition that occurs when the body loses its ability to make enough insulin or to use it effectively, causing too much sugar in your blood (hyperglycemia). Over time, this glucose ends up damaging the tissues, a deterioration that in the long term causes alterations, dysfunctions and insufficiencies in organs such as the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and blood vessels.
Overweight and obesity: obesity in our country has increased from 7.4% to 17.0% in the last twenty-five years. Furthermore, 37% of Spanish adults are overweight and three out of ten children and adolescents are overweight or obese. Both are risk factors for hypercholesteremia, hypertension, and diabetes.
Chronic respiratory diseases (CKD): the WHO includes in this category asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), respiratory allergies, occupational lung diseases and pulmonary hypertension, among others.
Stress: although there are no epidemiological data, one in three patients who visit the GP in Spain has symptoms derived from stress. According to the Spanish Society for the Study of Anxiety and Stress (SEAS), negative, intense stress that persists for a long period of time increases the probability of developing anxiety problems, chronic fatigue, exhaustion and other stress problems. health as infectious processes or psychophysiological disorders.
What habits can help us stay healthy?
In order to maintain good health and a quality of life as high as possible over the years, it is necessary to adopt and
How much physical exercise should we practice?
In addition to promoting a feeling of well-being, physical exercise helps the heart work more efficiently, helps regulate cholesterol and insulin sensitivity, improves muscle tone, and prevents obesity and overweight, among other benefits.
Therefore, we must avoid sedentary lifestyle and walk between half and an hour a day or practice aerobic activities such as dancing, swimming or cycling three times a week, for which it is advisable to reserve moments in our daily or weekly routine.
And, in addition to doing some sport or physical exercise, we must strive to lead an active life on a day-to-day basis. For example, it is advisable to walk instead of traveling by car or take the stairs instead of taking the elevator.
