Non-communicable Diseases

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic or lifestyle diseases, are long-lasting diseases resulting from combinations of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors. The main NCDs include cancers, diabetes, heart, lung diseases and its continual rising prevalence and impact poses a significant threat to global health.

Main behavioral risk factors include tobacco use, exposure to second-hand smoke, unhealthy diets, harmful use of alcohol, and insufficient physical activity as they lead to obesity, raised blood pressure, high glucose levels, and abnormal blood lipids such as cholesterol, consequently increasing the risk of NCDS.

Diet

In today’s world where availability and convenience is prioritized, most people are increasingly consuming foods that are high in excess energy, unhealthy fats, cholesterol, free sugar and sodium, leading to higher levels of LDL cholesterol and raised blood pressure.

People are also not consuming enough fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and overall dietary fiber, which are all crucial for good health. As a result, diet is a key factor in the global public risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

For instance, colon cancer rates are alarmingly increasing among young people and is now the third most common cancer worldwide. This is likely due to the fact that the majority of people are not reaching the recommended daily fiber intake, with evidence showing that diets high in dietary fiber reduce risk of colon cancer.

Processed Meat

The main culprit in people’s diet is undoubtedly processed meat, including any meat that has been preserved through smoking, curing, salting, breading, or adding chemical preservatives. Examples include bacon, deli meat, hamburger patties, ham, sausages, and pepperoni. These contain high amounts of saturated fat, excess salt and chemical additives.

According to the World Health Organization, processed meat is considered a group 1 carcinogen, which means there is strong evidence that it causes cancer in humans. In fact, processed meat is categorised in the same category as other more well-known causes of cancer, such as tobacco smoking, though this does not necessarily mean it is equally as dangerous. The method and chemicals used in processing the meat can damage cells and cause mutations, with carcinogenic substances such as N-nitroso compounds (NOCs), Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Other cancer risks

A lesser known carcinogen is red meat, although it is categorised in group 2. This means they are likely carcinogenic to humans due to the positive associations linking red meat to cancer in humans, but with limited evidence.

Dioxins, which are toxic, highly stable chemical compounds, are also categorized as a group 1 carcinogen. As they are highly stable, dioxins do not break down easily and can remain stored in human tissues for years if consumed. Yet, over 90% of human exposure to dioxins are through food, coming from meat, dairy products, and fish, as dioxin accumulates within the fatty tissue of animals.

The Solution

Most research for basic healthy eating guidelines, or even preventing and reversing various diseases, all have one thing in common: they promote plant-based diets with a variety of whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, while limiting red meat and eliminating processed meat intake, focusing on high fiber, low levels of added sugars, salt, and chemicals. It is also recommended to eliminate ultra-processed foods with high levels of added sugar and sodium to minimize the risk of weight gain that can lead to an increased risk of NCDs.

Of course, for most of us, this does not mean completely eliminating meat. However it is scientifically proven to be beneficial for our health if we were to shift towards a more varied and whole-food, plant-based diet that avoids processed and red meat.

A bigger problem

It is important for everyone to be more mindful about their diet, but the role that society and marketing plays is undeniable. The unhealthy diets our society has been fed (quite literally) comes with an abundance of factors that lead to a global health crisis. Instead of investing so much to fix the problem later on, it would be significantly more beneficial to mitigate the root causes in the first place.

Especially when NCDs disproportionately affect vulnerable people in low and middle income countries, it is urgent that governments step up for the people and their health. Subsidize and fund healthy meals. Make them more affordable. Impose sin tax on carcinogenic food. The possibilities are endless.

If tobacco packages have disturbing images of lungs with cancer and alcohol is strictly regulated, why are processed meat so accessible, even for children and the elderly, when they are all classified in the same highest-risk category?

Ask Questions, Speak Up, Choose Change.

Resources

  • World Health Organization. “Healthy Diet.” World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet.
  • World Health Organization. “Noncommunicable Diseases.” World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases.
  • “The Alarming Rise of Lifestyle Diseases and Their Impact on Public Health.” National Center for Biotechnology Information, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11974594/.
  • World Health Organization. “Carcinogenicity of the Consumption of Red Meat and Processed Meat.” World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/cancer-carcinogenicity-of-the-consumption-of-red-meat-and-processed-meat.
  • Cancer Council. “Red Meat, Processed Meat and Cancer.” Cancer Council, https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/1in3cancers/lifestyle-choices-and-cancer/red-meat-processed-meat-and-cancer/.
  • National Geographic. “How Much Fiber Do You Really Need—and Can It Reduce Your Risk of Colon Cancer?” National Geographic, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/fiber-intake-colon-cancer.
  • National Geographic. “Cholesterol, Triglycerides, and Nutrition: How Your Diet May Increase Your Cancer Odds.” National Geographic, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/metabolic-disease-obesity-diabetes-cancer-risk.