Here are the information sheets that we used for the leaflets in the last assignment. Feel free to use them to complete any parts this week, and remember that you can find your own information as well.
Alcohol
Increasing-risk drinkers
Most people who have alcohol-related health problems aren’t alcoholics. They're simply people who have regularly drunk more than the recommended levels for some years.
And it's certainly not only people who get drunk or binge drink who are at risk. Most people who regularly drink more than the NHS recommends don't see any harmful effects at first.
Alcohol’s hidden harms usually only emerge after a number of years. And by then, serious health problems can have developed.
Liver problems, reduced fertility, high blood pressure, increased risk of various cancers and heart attack are some of the numerous harmful effects of regularly drinking above recommended levels.
Drinking at this level increases the risk of damaging your health. Alcohol affects all parts and systems of the body, and it can play a role in numerous medical conditions.
Increasing-risk drinking is:
- drinking more than 3-4 units a day on a regular basis if you're a man
- drinking more than 2-3 units a day on a regular basis if you're a woman
If you're drinking at around these levels, your risk of developing a serious illness is higher compared to non-drinkers:
- Men are 1.8 to 2.5 times as likely to get cancer of the mouth, neck and throat; women are 1.2 to 1.7 times as likely.
- Women are 1.2 times as likely to get breast cancer.
- Men are twice as likely to develop liver cirrhosis, and women 1.7 times as likely.
- Men are 1.8 times as likely to develop high blood pressure, and women are 1.3 times as likely.
If you're an increasing-risk drinker and are drinking substantially above the lower risk limits, your risks will be even higher than those outlined above.
At these drinking levels, you might already be suffering from alcohol-related problems, such as fatigue or depression, weight gain, poor sleep and sexual problems.
Whatever your age or sex, you’re probably in worse physical shape than you would be otherwise. Also, you could easily be suffering from higher blood pressure due to your drinking.
Some people argue a lot when they’re drinking, which can negatively affect their relationships with family and friends.
Pregnant women or women trying to conceive should not drink alcohol. When you drink, alcohol reaches your baby through the placenta. Too much exposure to alcohol can seriously affect your baby's development.
Lack of exercise/Obesity
Failure to exercise is as bad for health as smoking a packet of cigarettes every day, experts have warned.
The World Heart Federation said physical inactivity doubles the chances of developing heart disease and increases the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure.
The warning was issued ahead of World Heart Day on Sunday 29 September.
Doctors estimate that between 65% and 85% of the world's population fail to take enough exercise.
Professor Mario Maranhao, president of the World Heart Federation, said that children were also at risk.
Two out of three children around the globe take too little exercise to improve their health.
Health benefits
Professor Maranhao urged people to exercise.
"Even moderate exercise such as a brisk walk for 30 minutes most days helps control weight, cuts stress, anxiety and depression."
Professor Maranhao also advised people to improve their diet and to eat plenty of fruit, grains and vegetables and reduce their intake of alcohol and saturated fats.
Around 90 countries are expected to take part in World Heart Day which will feature events such as carnivals, walks, shows, public talks, sports tournaments and exhibitions.
The event is being supported by Brazilian footballer Ronaldo and Chow Yun Fat, star of the Oscar-winning film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
Ronaldo, who is a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, backed calls for people to exercise more.
He said: "Wherever you live in the world, there is no substitute for moderate but regular exercise and with a small amount of effort you can make a big difference."
Actor Chow Yun Fat exercises five times a week and eats mainly rice, fish and vegetables.
His belief in the benefits of healthy lifestyle has led to him becoming a goodwill ambassador for the World Heart Federation and supporting World Heart Day.
Smoking
If you smoke, you increase your risk of more than 50 serious health conditions. Some may be fatal and others can cause irreversible long-term damage to your health.
Smoking is one of the biggest causes of death and illness in the UK. You can become ill:
- if you smoke yourself
- through other people’s smoke (passive smoking or secondhand smoke)
In the UK, around 114,000 people die every year from smoking-related illnesses.
Risks to your health
Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancers. It also causes cancer in many other parts of the body, such as:
- mouth
- lip
- throat
- voice box (larynx)
- oesophagus (the tube between your mouth and stomach)
- bladder
- kidney
- liver
- stomach
- pancreas
Smoking damages your heart and your blood circulation, increasing the risk of conditions such as:
- coronary heart disease
- heart attack
- stroke
- peripheral vascular disease (damaged blood vessels)
- cerebrovascular disease (damaged arteries that supply blood to your brain)
Smoking damages your lungs, causing conditions such as:
- chronic bronchitis (infection of the main airways in the lungs)
- emphysema (damage to the small airways in the lungs)
- pneumonia (inflammation in the lungs)
Smoking can also worsen or prolong the symptoms of respiratory conditions, such as asthma, or respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold.
In men, smoking can cause impotence as it limits the blood supply to the penis.
For both men and women, smoking can affect fertility, making it difficult for you to have children.
