Health and disease

HEALTH AND DISEASE

LESSON I. TEXT A. LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

A disease is an abnotmal condition that affects the body of an organism. It is a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs.

Your health is influenced by two major factors: your genetic make-up and your lifestyle. You cannot change inherited factors, but you can adopt your behaviour to control your risk of disease or injury. You have some control over what you cat and drink and whether you smoke or exercise.

In the developed world life expectancy has risen greatly over the last century due to improvements in public health.

People died before the age of 65, (Alen from long-term diseases such as cancer or heart disease. All aspects of life, including work, travel, home and leisure, carry risks and benefits to health. You need to balance these risks and benefits by lifestyle choices that enable you to enjoy your life while staying healthy.

Several lifestyle factors, including a high-flit diet, are known to contribute to the development of heart disease and cancer. Many people enjoy drinking alcohol as a part of social activity. However, regularly drinking excess can severely damage your liver, brain and heart, and drinking during pregnancy may harm your developing baby.

In order to make informed decisions about your health priorities, you need to take into account your individual circumstances. Your age is one of the most important factors and greatly influences the lifestyle decisions that you need to make.

For example, young adults arc statistically more likely to experience illness or injury associated with risk-taking behaviour than to suffer from ill health due to long-term disease. Another consideration is work: if you have a dangerous occupation, such as construction work, paying close attention to safety could he