The Cost of Our Lifestyle Choices

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• 29 Mar 2026

Tackling lifestyle diseases is a shared responsibility. Governments must regulate and invest. Businesses must act ethically. The public at large must demand healthier environments

HEALTH WATCH

DR MUZAFFAR AHMAD MIR

In hospitals across the world, the most common emergencies are no longer caused by infections or injuries, but by diseases that develop quietly over years: heart attacks, strokes, diabetes crises, and complications of obesity. These are “lifestyle diseases” — conditions largely driven by the way we live, eat, move, sleep, and cope with stress. Unlike sudden outbreaks of infection, this is a slow pandemic, and it is reshaping societies, economies, and families everywhere.

Lifestyle diseases, also known as non-communicable diseases (NCDs), include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, many cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases. They are called “lifestyle” diseases, not because they are a matter of choice or personal failure, but because they are deeply linked to patterns of modern life: processed food, sedentary work, urbanisation, pollution, and chronic stress.

A Global Health Emergency

The World Health Organisation estimates that noncommunicable diseases account for roughly threequarters of all deaths worldwide. Heart disease alone remains the leading cause of death in many countries, rich and poor alike. Type 2 diabetes has risen so sharply that some doctors now speak of it as an epidemic in its own right.

What is striking is how rapidly these diseases have spread in countries that, just a few decades ago, were mostly battling undernutrition and infectious illnesses. Urbanisation, rising incomes for some, and the spread of global food chains have radically altered diets and daily routines. Traditional meals based on grains, pulses, vegetables, and seasonal produce are being replaced by packaged foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. At the same time, manual labour is steadily being replaced by desk jobs, machinery, and screens.

This combination — more calories, less movement — has led to an alarming rise in overweight and obesity, important risk factors for diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. But lifestyle diseases are not just about body weight. Smoking, alcohol abuse, air pollution, poor sleep, and high levels of stress all play a powerful role.

How Modern Life Makes Us Sick

Several features of today’s world quietly push people towards unhealthy choices:

Food engineered for addiction: Supermarket shelves are packed with ultraprocessed foods: instant noodles, sugary drinks, packaged snacks, frozen meals, and sweets. These products are designed to be tasty, cheap, and convenient. They often contain high levels of sugar, salt, and refined flour, with little fibre or real nutrition. Attractive packaging, heavy advertising, and the spread of fast food outlets mean that these foods are often more visible and accessible than fresh.

Work that keeps us sitting: Office jobs have replaced many physically demanding occupations. A large share of the population now spends most of the day sitting — at a desk, in a vehicle, or in front of a screen. Even leisure time is often spent seated, watching television or scrolling on phones. Studies have shown that long periods of sitting are linked to higher risks of heart disease and early death, even in people who do some exercise.

Cities built for cars, not people: In many cities, walking or cycling is unsafe or unpleasant because of traffic, lack of footpaths, and air pollution. Parks and open spaces are limited or poorly maintained. Children have fewer chances to play outdoors, and adults find it difficult to build physical activity into their daily lives. The built environment quietly shapes our habits.

The rise of stress and poor sleep: Economic uncertainty, long commutes, demanding jobs, social pressures, and digital overload have all contributed to high levels of chronic stress. At the same time, sleep is often sacrificed, whether due to shift work, latenight screen use, or crowded living conditions. Chronic stress and lack of sleep affect hormones that regulate appetite, blood sugar, and blood pressure, creating fertile ground for lifestyle diseases.

Tobacco, alcohol, and pollution: Tobacco use remains one of the biggest avoidable causes of death worldwide. Alcohol, often socially accepted, contributes to liver disease, cancers, injuries, and mental health problems. Meanwhile, air pollution — from traffic, industry, and sometimes from burning biomass — increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and respiratory illnesses, even among nonsmokers.

Not Just a Personal Problem

Lifestyle diseases are often discussed as if they were simply the result of poor personal choices. This view is not only unfair, it is also inaccurate. Individual decisions do matter, but they are made within a larger system that powerfully shapes what is easy, cheap, and normal.

For a lowincome family living in a crowded urban settlement, fresh fruits and vegetables may be more expensive and harder to find than fried snacks or sugary tea. An office worker may have little control over long working hours or lack of breaks. A child surrounded by advertisements for soft drinks and fast food, and with few safe places to play, faces an uphill battle in forming healthy habits.

Blaming individuals ignores the role of food companies, urban design, advertising, labour practices, and government policies. It also feeds stigma against people living with obesity or diabetes, when what they often need most is support, information, and a healthier environment.

The Economic and Social Cost

The burden of lifestyle diseases is not just medical; it is economic and social. Treating heart disease, strokes, cancer, and diabetes places immense pressure on health systems, especially in countries where public healthcare is already stretched. Families often face high outofpocket expenses, pushing many into debt or poverty.

There is also a loss of productivity when people fall ill in the prime of their working lives, or when they must miss work to care for sick relatives. Children may drop out of school to support a family struggling with medical bills. The impact of lifestyle diseases therefore ripples far beyond the hospital ward.

Turning the Tide: What Can Be Done?

The good news is that most lifestyle diseases are largely preventable. This does not mean that everyone can, by individual willpower alone, avoid illness. It means that with the right policies, environments, and support, societies can sharply reduce the number of people who fall sick.

Policy and regulation

Governments can play a decisive role by:

1. Taxing sugary drinks and heavily processed foods high in salt and trans fats.
2. Limiting misleading advertising, especially to children.
3. Requiring clear food labels that ordinary people can easily understand.
4. Enforcing smokefree public spaces and strong tobacco control laws.
5. Investing in clean air policies and better public transport.
6. Evidence from various countries shows that such measures can reduce consumption of unhealthy products and encourage healthier choices.

Cities that support healthy living

Urban planning can make daily movement a natural part of life. Safe footpaths, cycling lanes, parks, and playgrounds encourage people to walk, cycle, and play. Public spaces that are clean and inclusive can turn exercise from a luxury into a routine part of daily life.

Health systems that focus on prevention

Hospitals and clinics are often geared towards treating advanced disease rather than preventing it. Regular screening for high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol — especially in primary care settings — can catch problems early, when lifestyle changes and simple medications can have the greatest impact. Healthcare workers also need time and training to counsel patients on diet, physical activity, and mental health, rather than simply writing prescriptions.

Workplaces and schools as allies

Workplaces can promote health by offering healthier food options in canteens, encouraging regular breaks, supporting walking meetings or standing desks, and providing access to mental health support. Schools can integrate physical activity into the daily routine, provide nutritious meals, and educate children about food, exercise, and emotional wellbeing.

Individual steps, supported by society

At the personal level, some changes are simple but powerful:

• Choosing homecooked meals made from fresh ingredients more often than packaged foods.
• Walking, cycling, or taking the stairs whenever possible.
• Setting limits on screen time, especially before bed, and aiming for adequate sleep.
• Seeking help to quit smoking or reduce alcohol intake.
• Finding small, enjoyable ways to manage stress — from talking to friends and family to practising breathing exercises or meditation.

However, individuals can make these changes more easily when healthy options are affordable, accessible, and socially accepted. That is why broader social and political action is essential.

A Shared Responsibility

Lifestyle diseases are sometimes described as the price of progress. Yet there is nothing inevitable about a world where economic development goes hand in hand with poor health. The same creativity that produces new technologies and booming cities can be directed toward healthier food systems, cleaner air, and more humane work patterns.

Ultimately, tackling lifestyle diseases is a shared responsibility. Governments must regulate and invest. Businesses must act ethically. Communities must demand healthier environments. And individuals, where they can, must make conscious choices that support their own well-being.

If we fail, the quiet pandemic of lifestyle diseases will continue to claim lives long before their time. If we succeed, we will not only add years to life, but life to years — healthier, more active, and more fulfilling for generations to come.

(Author is a registered medical practitioner and RK Columnist. Feedback: mir.muzaffar@yahoo.com)