Search
Close
Search
Advanced Search
Search Menu
AI Discovery Assistant

Extract

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 out of 10 Americans have at least 1 form of chronic disease such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and arthritis despite the fact that these diseases are often preventable through lifestyle modification.1 A 2012 survey exploring the prevalence of chronic disease estimated that 117 million people in the United States had 1 or more chronic health conditions, with 1 in 4 adults having 2 or more chronic health conditions.2 This comes at a high economic burden on the healthcare system. Of the nation’s $2.7 trillion annual healthcare costs, 86% is spent on patients with chronic and mental health conditions.3 Major factors contributing to the chronic disease epidemic include the standard American diet (SAD), which describes excess consumption of calories from refined carbohydrates and inflammatory fats, and lack of important nutrients found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.4 Other factors include sedentary lifestyles, tobacco, and alcohol as well as environmental and social determinants of health including exposure to toxins, fragmented families and communities, chronic stress, being un- and underinsured, employment status, and poverty.4-6

Issue Section:
Commentary
You do not currently have access to this article.
Download all slides

Comments

0 Comments
Comments (0)
Submit a comment
You have entered an invalid code
Thank you for submitting a comment on this article. Your comment will be reviewed and published at the journal's discretion. Please check for further notifications by email.