Lifestyle Facts for Parents

Our lifestyle has deteriorated radically in recent years.  Childhood obesity levels in Ireland are at an all time high, and cardiovascular disease, which begins in childhood, kills 4 in every 10 Irish adults. Lifestyle related cancers are common in Ireland, with 25% of all deaths being due to cancer.  The incidence of type II diabetes in young adults is on the increase.  

These chronic illnesses are heavily influenced by lifestyle, with poor eating habits and physical inactivity having a huge effect upon health.  Fairly simple lifestyle changes have huge significance in terms of quality of life and life expectancy, with prevention being a far more effective strategy than treatment.  Quite apart from health concerns, poor lifestyle habits affect quality of life and performance in every area of human endeavour.

As our disposable income has risen, our lifestyle habits have worsened.  The environment in which our children live has become increasingly obesogenic. Energy dense, nutrient poor food is ubiquitous across our country.  Our culture is fast reaching the point where children rarely walk anywhere. More and more of our children come to school with no breakfast, and lunch typically consists of poor quality snack foods.  Our nation is the greatest consumer of soft drinks in the European Union, with 63% of our children consuming at least one can per day.  Food companies are using viral marketing techniques to drive consumption of energy dense food in our children.  We have been persuaded that we do not have time to make meals, depriving ourselves of such simple acts of creation in favour of passive consumption.  We have been persuaded that 10 minutes in a fast food restaurant is somehow a “fun” experience, while a multi-million euro leisure industry benefits when our families lounge comatose in front of the TV.  We have been convinced that we do not have the time or energy to do anything other than sit and passively consume entertainment in the same way that we consume processed food.

How many parents are aware that lack of physical activity may increase our childrens risk of a range of chronic illnesses? If your children are not physically active, they have an increased risk for a range of serious illnesses. Many of the most significant modern diseases take many years to develop. Heart disease doesn't happen overnight, it is the end result of a lifetime of bad habits, and this process begins in childhood. 

According to the World Health Organisation, physical activity can reduce your risk for the following conditions:

Don't take our word for it, you can see for yourself at the WHO website by clicking here.

The food we eat, the way we grow our food, and even the way that our food is cooked has a massive effect upon health.  We know that people who eat lots of fruit and vegetables are less likely to get certain diseases (like cancer, heart disease, and stroke). This may be one reason why people in Ireland are particularly prone to these diseases. Our consumption of fruits and vegetables is low. Even more worryingly, the amount of fruit and veg we eat is falling. For example, only 36% of school age girls and 29% of boys in Ireland eat at least one piece of fruit per day. Irish school age children are also consuming fewer vegetables. 

Specific benefits have been identified for apples (protection against heart disease and certain cancers), cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables like broccoli (which may protect against certain cancers), tomatoes (protection against prostate cancer), nuts (protective against heart disease and type II diabetes), dairy foods (reduction in blood pressure)...the list goes on, and includes kale, blueberries, raspberries, garlic, almonds, wine, dark chocolate, tea (black and green) and coffee. It is impossible to recommend specific “super” foods, since the health benefits almost certainly come from consuming a wide range of different foods. However, a balanced diet that includes a wide variety of real foods and minimal processed food would be expected to reduce the risk of a range of chronic degenerative illnesses. In addition, a diet rich in unprocessed food makes it easier for the body to regulate appetite, and usually helps people to avoid overweight and obesity. On the other side of the coin, it has been shown conclusively that a fast-food diet increases the risk of obesity and type II diabetes.  

Fruits, vegetables and other plant foods tend to be rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants consumed in food inhibit damaging reactions within the human body and have a beneficial effect upon health. By reducing free-radical damage, antioxidants reduce inflammation, promote cardiac health, and reduce the risk of neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Many studies also show that some plant phytochemicals are anti-proliferative – they slow or prevent the growth of some cancer cells. Recent research suggests that plant constituents increase sensitivity to insulin, which may help delay the onset of type II diabetes. Chronic inflammation may be the root cause of lots of nasty illnesses like heart disease...we now know that cholesterol is certainly NOT the only issue...and it is likely that eating fruit and vegetables regularly can prevent this chronic inflammation. Many fruits for example contain salicylate...a close relative of a familiar anti-inflammatory drug that you all know (aspirin!).

The bottom line is that if your diet is rich in wholegrain, fruits, vegetables and nuts (and certain oils) you reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, some types of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.