Kickin' It Jun 2014 | Page 22

Article - Women's General Health and Wellness

There is credible information available to women not only on such problems as eating disorders, stress, alcoholism, addictions, and depression, but also on basic topics such as good nutrition, heart health, and exercise. For example, it is beneficial that a woman maintain her optimum weight. If a woman's waist size measures more than 35 inches (89 cm), she is more likely to develop heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Eating sensible meals, eliminating after- dinner snacks, and making physical activity a part of daily life are significant ways to help control weight and lower the risk of a long list of health problems.

Smoking is detrimental to a woman's health (or to anyone else's). Unfortunately, women continue to smoke despite the known health risks. Even though the number of women smoking is declining, still about 19% of women in the U.S. were smokers in 2003. Women are smoking in spite of the well-publicized risks of lung disease including cancer, heart disease, and innumerable other health problems now linked to smoking.

Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol is also harmful to health. Although women typically begin drinking at a later age than men and tend to drink somewhat less, lower doses of alcohol before developing alcohol are required for women to develop alcohol-related medical problems including alcohol toxicity, cirrhosis, and hepatitis.

Women should be aware that they metabolize a number of drugs differently than men. In some cases and for some medications, the rate may be slower, and in other cases, faster. It is, therefore, essential that women are well informed about the kinds and correct dosages of drugs they are taking.

Summary:

Women can suffer from several health problems due to bad eating habits, not enough exercise, and/or unhealthy choices such as smoking and drinking. However, there are many ways that females can prevent these common medical conditions including eating sensible meals, making physical activity a part of daily life and quitting smoking or drinking too much. These important factors will avoid health issues like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, lung cancer, cirrhosis and hepatitis.

Comment:

I believe that it is extremely important for women to be constantly made aware of the many medical conditions that are associated to them so that they can improve their state of health in any way possible. In my opinion, maintaining a healthy lifestyle by being active and eating right is one of the best ways to prevent health problems, but also minimizing or eliminating intake of drugs and alcohol of course reduces your chances of diseases significantly. Women would benefit from the information in this article because I don’t think that they are reminded enough of how to stay healthy and how it positively affects female’s lives. Therefore, I believe that women’s general health and wellness should be advertised more so that they can improve their overall well-being.

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