How High-fat Diets Hurt

Author: Raymond Lee

| Posted: 31-01-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 25 | Rating: (63)

(?)

Related Videos

Play

Eat Fat and Lose Weight

You can have a diet high in fat and still lose weight,...

Play

Legal Advice: Plea Bargaining

"Let's Make A Deal" isn't just an old game show. Learn...

Play

Workout Before Treadmill

Working out before jumping on the treadmill you'll burn fat at a...

After smoking, a high-fat diet is the second most lethal habit. According to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, smoking causes 400,000 deaths a year. High-fat diets cause 300,000. Several more highly publicized social evils are comparatively small problems: alcohol (100,000 deaths), guns (35,000), auto accidents (25,000) and drug abuse (20,000). These statistics in no way minimize the tragedies of alcoholism, murder or drug addiction. But they provide a perspective on what is really like killing us. If this sounds a bit extreme, consider the dangers of dietary fat and judge for yourself.

High blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. A high-fat diet contributes to this condition because it adds extra pounds. As weight increases, the heart must work harder to pump blood through all the extra tissue. As the heart’s effort increases, so does blood pressure.

Diabetes. Diabetes contributes to an estimated 250,000 deaths a year. It involves an inability to metabolize blood sugar because of problems with the pancreatic hormone, insulin. In Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes, the pancreas stops producing insulin. In more common Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes, typically associated with obesity, insulin production may be normal, but food intake overwhelms the body’s ability to process it.

Arthritis. Dietary fat contributes to the most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, because excess weight subjects the major joints to extra weight and tear. A high-fat diet also appears to increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most serious and potentially crippling form of joint disease. Several studies suggest that a low-fat diet relieves RA symptoms.

Stroke. Stroke is the nation’s third leading cause of death, claming 144,000 lives a year. There are two major types of stroke, one caused by bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic), the other by blockage of an artery there (ischemic). About 75 percent of strokes are ischemic, and the vast majority of ischemic strokes are caused by cerebral thrombosis – blockage of a brain artery by a process similar to heart attack, involving atherosclerosis and plaque rupture.

Obesity.Many people use obese as a synonym for fat, but it has a more precise medical definition – a weight 20 percent heavier than what is recommended for one’s height and build. Anyone who is 35 percent overweight faces a risk of premature death 50 percent greater than average. Obesity is a risk factor for heart disease, several cancers, high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. It is a problem only in countries with a high-fat diet. In addition to being hazardous to health, obesity is also an economic handicap, since obese people earn less money than those who are slimmer.

Heart disease. The nation’s leading cause of death, heart disease kills 720,000 Americans a year, most as a result of heart attacks. About one American in four has some form of heart disease. Heart disease results from a process called atherosclerosis, which is directly linked to dietary fat. Fatty foods are high in cholesterol and free radicals, which are oxygen molecules that have lost an electron and become highly reactive. As they circulate in the blood, they snatch electrons away from other molecules, sometimes grabbing them from the cells that line artery walls. The microscopic injuries that free radicals inflict begin a decades-long process that eventually narrows the arteries with cholesterol-rich deposits called plaques. Sometimes plaque rupture, spilling their contents into the blood. If a plaque ruptures in one of the coronary arteries that nourish the heart, its debris can cause complete blockage. Without food and oxygen to nourish its hard-working cells, part of the heart dies. That’s a heart attack.

Rate this Article:

Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).

Article Tags: Heart Attack, High-fat Diet

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/how-highfat-diets-hurt-320569.html

Print article

Send to friend

Publish this Article

Author feedback

About the Author:

Raymond Lee is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is the Founder of Bodyfixes Group specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He is currently the author of the latest edition of "Neck Exercises and Workouts." Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.

Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free!

Article Comments

Add new Comment

Causes of Chest Pain
By: Sven Ullmann | 06/04/2007 | Diseases and Conditions

Heart Attack Signs
By: Sven Ullmann | 06/03/2007 | Diseases and Conditions

The Defibrillator For You
By: James Monahan | 01/12/2005 | Health

The Defibrillator - Learn About It and Live
By: Graham Hobbs | 07/08/2006 | Health

How To Treat Your Dog In Cardiac Arrest
By: Jeff Clare | 30/01/2007 | Pets
Pet related articles, find free content for your pet related web sites or pet related newsletters. Submit your pet related articles for free syndication.

Heart Attack - How Aspirin Helps
By: Anna Hart | 14/06/2007 | Medicine

Critical Illness Cover - Insuring the Children
By: Ray Prince | 14/08/2007 | Finance
Free Finance articles for use on your Finance related website. Find articles of the subject of Finance

Diseases Caused By High Blood Pressure
By: David Cowley | 16/11/2007 | Alternative Medicine

Got a Question? Ask.

Ask the community a question about this article:

Frequently Asked Questions

South Carolina
By: Confused | 24-08-2008
I need to have a website to check out a physician in south carolina - reputation, any law suits, etc. - something like department of health professions. I have such a site for the state of virginia, but can't find anything for SC. Please help.

Allergy Shots
By: OrKuperman | 22-08-2008
Hi! I want to get some info about allergy shots,if it's really worth it and where I can get one of these in the U.S... Waiting for your answers ;)

I periodically have a burning, acidic sensation in ...
By: Nyssa | 21-08-2008
I periodically have a burning, acidic sensation in my stomach, and when I burp, it feels like a small amount of stomach acid is coming up. I do not experience burning in my chest like heartburn. It can happen whether I am hungry or have just eaten, and I haven't noticed any foods that correlate with the burning. What could this be? Could this be serious enough to see a doctor?

If you were President in the U.S.A....What would ...
By: Irene Malinski-Messenger | 20-08-2008
If you were President in the U.S.A....What would you do to change or remedy some problems you feel needs to be addressed...

Does honey and lemon and hot water help you to ...
By: Sarah | 20-08-2008
Does honey and lemon and hot water help you to lose weight? If you drink it once in the morning?

Breathing problem
By: The Bonster | 16-08-2008
Looking for causes for crackling noise when breathing out (not breathing in). Not rales.

Q&A Powered by:

Latest Nutrition Articles

Eating Tips For Burning Fat And Successfully Losing Weight Healthily
By: Jennifer King | 11/10/2008
Losing weight requires more than just cuting down on calories. When to eat is very important.

Smart Hunger Management
By: Lauren B. Wallace | 10/10/2008
Hunger management is the key to weight loss control. If you have the power to decide what you should eat, how much you should eat and how often you should eat, you are on your way to a leaner and healthier body. A lot of people in today’s society have problems when it comes down to choosing the healthiest foods and the best portion sizes.

How to Stop Emotional and Social Eating Triggers
By: Lauren B. Wallace | 10/10/2008
Contrary to our belief, there are many people out there who suffer from social and emotional eating problems. Some people are eager to eat when they are around others while other people eat to relieve the tension of everyday life. However, no matter what the reason may be, emotional overeating can lead to significant weight gain as well as other health problems. But there are certain steps we can take in order to ensure that our emotional trigger habits are not as threatening to our weight and our health.

Why is Breakfast the Most Important Meal of the Day?
By: Lauren B. Wallace | 10/10/2008
I’m sure everyone has heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This has been the motto for many years, yet there are still certain people out there who don’t quite understand the importance of this morning meal. Failing to eat breakfast can rob us of our daily energy as well as other beneficial factors.

Manage Your Cravings and Lose Weight
By: Susan Patterson | 10/10/2008
Cravings can be difficult. Learning where they come from may help you resist them. Other tips for managing cravings are included.

Best Weight Loss Plans: 5 Things That'll Help You Choose
By: James O'Day | 09/10/2008
5 things that all the best diet plans have in common: all you need to know to make the best choice for reaching your weight loss goals.

Sound Weight Loss Plans: 5 Things You Should Know Before Starting a New Diet
By: James O'Day | 09/10/2008
5 tips every sound diet plan will have. Make sure you know these before starting a new weight loss plan.

Eat More to Lose Weight - 5 Things You Need to Know Before Dieting
By: James O'Day | 09/10/2008
Tired of starvation diets? Turns out it does more harm than good when you eat too much less... 5 tips on how eating a bit more can actually help you lose weight faster.

More from Raymond Lee

Top 7 Tips to Take Supplements Without Getting Taken
By: Raymond Lee | 01/02/2008 | Supplements and Vitamins
The types of supplements might be confusing. Therefore, it is worthwhile to go through the tips so as to shop for the supplements that can meet your needs.

Top 5 Vision Therapy Exercises
By: Raymond Lee | 01/02/2008 | Health
Vision therapy exercises are good for everyone’s eyes because they are relaxing. Therefore, it is worthwhile to give it a try.

Top 7 Tips to Treat Eye Conditions Using Vision Therapy
By: Raymond Lee | 01/02/2008 | Diseases and Conditions
Vision therapy is no sure cure for nearsightedness, but it can’t hurt, and it just might help.

Top 7 Tips to Go Organic
By: Raymond Lee | 31/01/2008 | Nutrition
Increasing number of people is taken the plunge. Therefore, it is worthwhile to consider these tips.

Top 5 Conditions to Get Heal With Light Therapy
By: Raymond Lee | 31/01/2008 | Wellness
Light therapy has healing benefits and helps relieve winter blues and treat other conditions. Therefore, it is worthwhile to consider these tips.

Top 7 Tips to Choose Healing Herbs for your Conditions
By: Raymond Lee | 30/01/2008 | Diseases and Conditions
Herbs have lots of healing benefits. Therefore, it is worthwhile to give these tips a try.

Top 5 Conditions to Get Heal With Cold
By: Raymond Lee | 30/01/2008 | Alternative Medicine
Cold treatments have many healing benefits. Therefore, it is worthwhile to consider these tips.

Top 7 Tips to Take the Plunge Towards Healthy Habits
By: Raymond Lee | 30/01/2008 | Goal Setting
Of course, change is never easy. It often feels threatening, especially when it is for life. Therefore, it is worthwhile to give these tips a try.

Article Categories

Article Marketing

Article Notepad

Stop Duplicate Content

Term Papers

Need Help?

Sign up for our email newsletter

Receive updates, enter your email below

Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.20, 17)

How High-fat Diets Hurt

Article Comments

Related Articles

Got a Question? Ask.

Latest Nutrition Articles

More from Raymond Lee

Need Help?

Site Links

Webmasters

Business Info

Sign up for our email newsletter