400,000 died from bad eating habits

UNHEALTHY eating habits can be blamed for more than 400,000 deaths a year in the United States due to heart disease and related illnesses, researchers said recently.

The problem is two-fold: Americans are eating too much salty, fatty and sugary fare, and not enough fruit, vegetables and whole grains, experts said at a meeting of the recent American Heart Association in Portland, Oregon.

This, however, is not confined only to Americans, but to many other people today.

“Low intake of healthy foods such as nuts, vegetables, whole grains and fruits combined with higher intake of unhealthy dietary components, such as salt and trans fat, is a major contributor to deaths from cardiovascular disease in the United States,” said lead study author Ashkan Afshin, assistant professor of global health at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

Trans fat has been largely phased out of the food supply, but can still be found in some margarines, biscuits, cookies, frosting and other processed foods.

If Americans were to alter their eating habits, many lives could be saved, Afshin said. “Our results show that nearly half of cardiovascular disease deaths in the United States can be prevented by improving diet.”

More than 600,000 people die annually because of heart disease, or one-in-four of all US deaths. Smoking, obesity, diet, exercise and hereditary factors can all contribute to person’s likelihood of developing heart disease.

Experts at the American Heart Association encourage people to eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fish and poultry.

People should avoid or limit their intake of fatty or processed red meat, sugary soft drinks, salt, saturated and trans fats. – AFPRelaxnews