Lifestyle Is Driving Us Toward Impending Demise

Book excerpt: Lifestyle Is Driving Us toward Impending Demise General: This book is comprised of fifteen up-to-date chapters, prologue, epilogue, and appendix. This manuscript discusses many important and contemporary hot topics, such as obesity, dietary regimen, exercise, health-care system, texting while driving, immigration, and airport dilemmas. This book also entails topics, such as insomnia, sleep deprivation, somnambulism, sex, and money. Chapter 1: Obesity. This chapter entitled "Obesity" covers extensively the epidemiology, prevalence in the USA, classification, and identification of obesity in children and adults. It describes primary obesity vs. secondary, lifelong obesity vs. adult-onset obesity and gradual weight reduction via behavior changes, diet, and exercise. This book also illustrates the differential diagnosis of childhood's obesity and its dire consequences. The role of genetic, central nervous system, and endocrine gland deficiencies is discussed. The problem of obesity epidemic with its catastrophic consequences is displayed. The strong behavior changes (willpower) are discussed in detail. Definition, etiology, pathogenesis of obesity, and deleterious effect of sedentary life are described thoroughly. The importance of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference size is described in detail. Waist reflects the amount of visceral fat each individual carries and may be a better prediction of obesity than BMI. The important cause of obesity in the USA, such as sedentary life, excessive caloric intake, and lack of willpower, is discussed in detail. Finally, the prevention and management of obesity are explored. Chapter 2: Food and Dietary Regimen. This chapter discusses the benefit of Mediterranean diet including olive oil. In this chapter, the good, the bad cholesterol, triglyceride, organic vs. genetic engineering food as well as antioxidant foods are discussed in detail. This chapter also describes in detail the role of saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated fats on our health. The consistency and moderation are emphasized. The importance and deleterious effect of high- caloric intake and loaded good fats is illustrated. The size of daily food matters greatly. The role of fiber and the presence of toxic substance in processed food and harmfulness of fried food are described. The difference between vegan vs. vegetarian diets and its pros and cons are discussed. The role and importance of guidelines on healthier meals in school cafeteria are emphasized. The advantageous role of nuts and berry families is explored. This chapter also describes the daily amount of caloric intake, calcium, vitamin D, salt, and percentage of daily caloric intake of protein, carbohydrate, and fat are discussed. The daily percentage of different fats in diet is also described. The deleterious effect of sugary and salty food is emphasized. The amount of daily caloric intake in different race, ethnicity, and gender groups is illustrated. This chapter also entails a description of trans fat, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid and its effect on our health. Finally, this chapter concludes with "Eat less, Live Longer" and "Eat to Live, Not Live to Eat." Chapter 3: Exercise. This chapter illustrates the importance of physical activity and exercise as well as deleterious effect of sectary life and sitting. It describes isometric (resistance) and dynamic (aerobic) exercises. The beneficial effect of aerobic exercise for cardiovascular system health and resistance exercise in older population are discussed. The different physical activity vs. caloric expenditure is illustrated. Lifestyle interventions and physical activity are elucidated. This chapter, via some tables, describes the intensity, time spent, and different physical activity exclusively. The value of target heart rate in adolescents and adult exercises are delineated. The critical importance of physical acti