Behavioral Health, Lifestyle And Health Promotion
By Zeina Moukarzel
MD-Anesthesiologist, Critical Care Physician, General Physician, Addiction Medicine
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1 minute
To live a long healthy life and improve his quality of life, individual should engage in healthy behaviors.
Non-communicable Chronic Diseases (NCDs) are now the major cause of mortality both in the developed and in the developing countries. NCDs are cardio-vascular diseases, diabetes, cancer diseases, chronic pain, sleep disorders, geriatric conditions, substance abuse and obesity.
Being attributable to behavioral and dietary risk factors, NCDs are preventable. Some of the risk factors are lack of exercise, unhealthy diet, smoking, alcohol, substance abuse and sleep disorders.
Legal and illegal Substance uses significantly contribute to morbidity and mortality, either by themselves (overdoses, risky behaviors…) or as risk factors for the development of NCDs.Studies have shown that people struggled with addiction and/or people with serious mental illness (schizophrenia/bipolar…) have an average life expectancy that is 25 years lower than that of the general population. This is due to the high risk of co-development of physical diseases, because of their medications and their engagement in unhealthy behaviors like, smoking, alcohol abuse, and lack of exercise… and to their disturbed pattern of sleep.
