Feel More Healthy and Stay Young

In spite of growing areas of hunger, malnutrition and starvation, the world is in the midst of an epidemic of obesity. Health concerns for fat don’t stop with just the heart and the digestive system. Morbid obesity is the cause of a whole range of illnesses and symptoms and a high potential for death.

For every ten pounds of additional fat over eight additional miles of blood vessels must be developed, and then the blood must be pumped through all the extra miles. This can put an insurmountable strain on the heart, leading to weakened heart muscles, poor circulation throughout the body and constant fatigue.

Fat deposits on the inside of your arteries add to the poor circulation and put additional strain on the already overworked heart. Excess body fat early in life particularly can cause loss of elasticity in blood vessels which is considered an early warning sign of heart disease.

Health concerns for fat include emotional stressors. A poor self-image in many extremely overweight people can lead to isolation, depression, and sometimes suicidal tendencies.

High blood pressure or hypertension is one of the related conditions often found with obesity. When you add high blood pressure, reduced elasticity in the blood vessels and clogged arteries, it becomes a set of symptoms usually associated with stroke.

Excess trans fats in the diet can result in reduced oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, which in turn starves the brain and other organs of the necessary blood supply to perform their functions.

Diabetes and obesity are another of the health concerns for fat.

When used in the sense of dietary fat, the picture is even grimmer. Even if the fat does not make you fat, excess amounts of certain types of fat in your diet can crease a multitude of symptoms ranging from heart disease to gout. It has long been recognized that saturated fats are not good for you, but you may cut down on saturated fat and still be in trouble because of the level of trans fats you are consuming.

Those who are concerned about fat in their diet may switch to vegetarian or even vegan meals in an effort to prevent the high level of fat in the diet. Generally a vegetarian diet combined with moderate exercise will solve both the overweight problem and the dietary fat problem. Care should be taken to ensure that adequate nutrition is provided with all types of diets.

Most health issues that concern minorities in the United States are the same ones that concern the poor and disadvantaged of any group of people. The economics of care for medical and health related issues have more of an impact than any other factor in minority health.

An example of the health issues that concern minorities is the HIV/AIDS epidemic amongst blacks in this country. Black Americans account for 12 percent of the population in America but contribute more than half of the AIDS cases diagnosed in 2005. AIDS rate among blacks is ten times that of white Americans. Black teenagers provided almost three/ quarters of the new AIDS cases reported.

Among Latin American women living in the United States, the rate of AIDS cases is nearly six times that of white women. Another of the health issues that concern minorities, particularly in the case of the AIDS epidemics is that minorities with AIDS don’t live as long as do Caucasians with the disease. It is believed that this is the result of better health care provided for whites than minorities.

Studies of agricultural workers in California who tend to be exposed to higher levels of agricultural pesticides have been inconclusive to date, mainly because accurate measurement methods have not yet been developed, but there is some evidence that this is one of the health issues that concern minorities, since Latin American men tend to be more highly represented in this group than do whites.

Another of the many health issues that concern minorities is the higher incidence of childhood asthma amongst minority and disadvantage urban children. Several studies have been commissioned to determine how broad the impact of race is on various health issues.

The influence of various diseases and symptoms related to the increased prevalence of lead and lead-based paint in inner-city environments, including low-birth rate, higher hypertension levels amongst African-Americans, and higher kidney or renal damage or failure.

In any situation where there is increased level of vermin population, those humans who are living in the environment are more likely to be exposed to the illness and disease associated. This is more often than not in an urban living situation. Since those living in the cities under such conditions are often minority groups, it is hardly surprising that the incident of certain vermin carried diseases is higher amongst minority groups.

The major concern among minorities is the lack of quality health care, simply because it is economically out of reach for the poorest of the poor.

There are three main health concerns of fast food restaurants. The food products that are being served, the animals that make up the menu, the cleanliness, and correct food handling techniques all play a role in whether the fast food establishment is one which should be of concern to the clients.

The first issue is the quality of the meat and other products which are on the menu. In spite of inspection and quality control for the products, there are many opportunities for bacteria and viruses to enter into the animal prior to its slaughter. There are inspection processes which go on in every jurisdiction, but that only catches the grossly visible problems. There has been occasional publicity over changes in animal care techniques, such as McDonald’s 2002 announcement that they would no longer purchase eggs from chickens that had been confined in battery cages and starved to increase production. By 2004 they were expected to discontinue purchasing chickens that had been given antibiotics.

The next of the health concerns of fast food it the cleanliness and food handling techniques. At best, the workers are only lightly trained in how to avoid the spread of disease through simple techniques. With a constant stream of people in and out of the food preparation area, as well as the storage areas, it would be nearly impossible to prevent problems in cleanliness. Only the most blatant violations will be seen by an inspector.

The third one of the major health concerns of fast food eating establishments is the menu. Many of the chains have stepped up the advertising of ‘healthy choices’ items on the menus and for that they are to be commended, but generally menu items are high in animal fat, deep fat fried in oil, high in sodium and high in sugar. A typical meal of hamburger, shake and French fries will provide well over a healthy daily dose of fat. Worse still, a meal such as this is usually followed but by returning to a stressful but sedentary job. It’s no wonder the fat clogs the arteries and settles around the belt.

You would be far better off health wise, to bring some snacks of fresh vegetables such as carrots or celery to carry off and eat while getting some mild exercise and fresh air in a nearby park. This would not only protect your waistline, but would clear you arteries and your mind as well.