Mover El Bote Part 2– Is Disease the Culprit?

By Toni Rico

February 26, 2014

Too many of us have our lives cut short from disease. But is the disease truly the cause of death? We will all pass on, that is a fact. But what disturbs me is that many of our loved ones have passed early in life for reasons that could have been prevented.  Definitions of words help us truly comprehend the meaning of a message and often times the word disease is used as if it were a culprit.

Disease is defined as, “an impairment of the normal state of the living…or one of its parts that interrupts or modifies the performance of the vital functions, is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms, and is a response to environmental factors (as malnutrition, industrial hazards, or climate)…” As noted here disease is a response meaning that disease is an outcome of what has occurred or failed to occur. Someone might say, “I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, cancer or diabetes” and they say it as if they were a victim of a burglary. Society often views disease as a culprit which is defined as: 3: the source or cause of a problem. Lifestyle such as smoking, drinking alcohol, stress, diet and having a sedentary lifestyle (inactive/desk bound) are examples of environmental factors that we can controlled. I recently read an article done here in Texas titled; “Perceived Barriers to Exercise in Hispanic Adults by Level of Activity” which stated:

In 2006, Texas had the second largest number of Hispanic residents at 8.3 million, nearly a 25% growth rate from 2000 to 2006. The majority of the Texas Hispanic population resides in the southern and western parts of the state, along the U.S.-Mexico border. This population is disproportionally affected by chronic conditions issues such as elevated blood pressure, central adiposity, diabetes and obesity (BMI ≥ 30). The 2006 Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (TX BRFSS) stated that nearly 72% of this population had a BMI of 25 or greater....

The increased risk of chronic conditions coupled with the lower levels of physical activity in the Rio Grande Valley (approximately 41%) compared with U.S. Hispanics (44.5%) poses a public health concern. Therefore, increasing physical activity in the Hispanic population is a chief objective for numerous public health initiatives in Healthy People 2010. In the Hispanic population, the increased prevalence of diabetes and has brought the need to promote physical activity…

After reading this small portion of the research article can you answer the question, “Is Disease the Culprit?” You may have a question of your own, what is BMI? It stands for Body Mass Index. Your BMI can be calculated with two numbers – your height and weight. The outcome of the BMI calculation provides a number that is a good indicator of how much body fat you are carrying. We all need fat for various reasons but too much can cause certain risks for disease. To find out your BMI there is a good BMI calculator on the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the following web address: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm  By the way, central adiposity is a scientific way of saying belly fat.

In part two of “Is Disease the Culprit” I will reveal ways decrease environmental factors that will lower health risks and even combat the ones you may already have. But don’t wait for the next article to…Mover El Bote!

Disease. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disease

Culprit. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culprit

Perceived Barriers to Exercise in Hispanic Adults by Level of Activity. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3174095/