WESTERN DIET

Have you heard of western diet? The Western diet is loosely defined as a diet high in saturated fats, red meats, ‘empty’ carbohydrates – junk food and low in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seafood, poultry^[1]. People who practice a western diet tend to consume more processed and animal-based foods instead of plant-based whole food. 

Is this a healthy diet? Perhaps you have the answer. 

 

The most common health impacts of a western diet are:

 

1.     High blood pressure;

2.     High blood cholesterol level;

3.     High glucose level;

4.     Heart disease and cardiovascular disease;

5.     Type-2 diabetes; and 

6.     Obesity and overweight.

 

Each one interrelates with all the others. Let’s take a look. High blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels are health problems and can put a person at higher risk for heart disease including heart attack and stroke. On the other hand, being overweight or obese is a risk factors for high blood pressure and it can also contribute to heart disease and type-2 diabetes. Meanwhile, type-2 diabetes is a disease of high and uncontrolled blood glucose level and it also increases the risk of developing heart disease. 

In the United States, about 47% of Americans have at least one of three risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and smoking^[2]. They are all connected. And, they have one common root cause – unhealthy diet. Therefore, these six health impacts are preventable through lifestyle choices – start from changing your diet! 

 

Sources:

1.     Definition of western diet. https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Western+diet  

2.     About heart disease. 2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/about.htm Accessed on 23 July 2021.

Disclaimer: Healthy Heart 231 information aims to help readers understand heart health, and encourage them adopting a whole food plant-based diet. It does not replace care provided by medical practitioners and other qualified health professionals.