Is it safe to say that as adults we should learn from "the error or our ways"? To not relive mistakes over and over again? Let us therefore attempt to adjust our thinking, then our lifestyle and thereby our lives.
After a bit of digging and statistical analysis, I noticed a trend. One that's not necessarily startling, but rather disappointing. Very simply put, the leading cause of death throughout the world is preventable. I did not say the United States alone, I said THE WORLD. We are all in the same boat, from India, to Africa, to Europe, to the Caribbean, men, women, and even children. Thanks to data for public viewing from the (CDC) - The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, The Healthy Caribbean Coalition and (WHO) The World Health Organization we have the knowledge to make a difference.
In the United States, heart disease is the number one leading cause of death, closely followed by stroke and cancer. Separated into sexes: in females the leading cause of death is heard disease, then cancer followed by stroke. In men, the leading cause of death is heart disease and then cancer. In children, the leading causes of death are accidents, followed by developmental and genetic conditions (present at birth) and then cancer.
IN THE WORLD:
The leading causes of death are firstly, heart disease, followed by infectious deceases, cancers and stroke.
What was really surprising to me is the low percentages in the incidence of road/traffic accidents (2.09%), violence (0.98%) and drug usage (0.15%). There is a vast difference between 0.15% and almost 30.0% as is seen by the first cause of leading deaths in the world.
Based on the data from WHO: heart disease was still number one, strokes made the number two spot, HIV which has said to be the "biggest, most deadliest killer" of our time is number four on this list and cancers of various types hold the number nine, fifteen, eighteen and nineteen spot on this top twenty list.
IN THE CARIBBEAN AND LATIN AMERICA
The number one leading cause of death was of course....(drum roll please) heart disease, then stroke, then cancer and diabetes. Interestingly enough, this site www.healthycaribbean.org, indicated that the above ailments accounted for 60% of overall deaths. It seems like in the most untouched places in the world, people rarely die of "natural causes" any longer.
SOLUTIONS:
- Eliminate processed and fried foods. (If you must have something processed, go through the process of making it yourself). This includes any "white" flour products and even wheat products are bleached and then colored to accommodate the appearance of being a "whole grain".
- Opt for vegetables and a bit of fruit, lots of water instead of food that have and eternity in shelf life.
- Become more active
Although these, things may at first seem dauntingly impossible to accomplish, consider doing one at a time and reflect on the statistics every now and then. Especially look at the rising statistics of childhood obesity and then the ages of the children having heart failure. It is astounding at what we have become or are becoming. You can make a change in yourself and your family and your friends. 2011 is a great place to start, change can begin with YOU!!!
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