2.2.6: The effect of lifestyle on some non-communicable diseases
Not started yet — this one needs some love.
Risk factor: something linked to an increased rate of a disease (may or may not be the direct cause).
Diet: high saturated fat → ↑ cholesterol → ↑ cardiovascular disease; high sugar/calorie intake → obesity → ↑ Type 2 diabetes.
Smoking: linked to lung cancer, COPD, cardiovascular disease; also harms unborn babies.
Alcohol: liver disease (cirrhosis), brain damage; harms unborn babies (foetal alcohol syndrome).
Lack of exercise: ↑ obesity, ↑ cardiovascular disease risk.
Carcinogens: cancer-causing agents, including ionising radiation (UV light, X-rays, gamma rays).
Obesity: risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease; associated with low exercise and poor diet.
Most non-communicable diseases are caused by multiple interacting risk factors, not just one.
Common exam mistakes
Obesity is NOT a lifestyle factor — it is a condition/risk factor itself. Diet and lack of exercise are the lifestyle factors that contribute to obesity.
Just saying 'drinking alcohol' or 'eating fatty foods' is insufficient — must qualify as excessive consumption.
Correlation between a risk factor and a disease does NOT prove causation — some risk factors have proven causal mechanisms, others are only correlational.
Ionising radiation (including UV) is a proven carcinogen — a cause of cancer.