Food for health : an emergency

Key worldwide figures on mankind’s health state:

- Diabetes:

• 347 million people have diabetes in the world

• In 2004, it was estimated that 3.4 million people had died from the consequences of high fasting blood glucose

• Over 80% of fatalities due to diabetes occur in countries with low or average revenues

• WHO forecast that in 2030, diabetes will be the 7th cause of death in the world

• A healthy food diet, exercising regularly, maintaining oneself to a normal weight and stopping smoking lead to preventing or delaying type-2 diabetes.

- Cancer:

• Cancer is one of the leading causes of fatality in the world, with 7.6 million deaths in 2008, i.e. 13% of global mortality

• Around 30% of deaths by cancer are due to five major behaviour and diet risk factors: high body mass index, low consumption of fruit and vegetables, lack of exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption

• Smoking is the highest risk factor, leading to 22% of deaths by cancer and 71% of deaths by lung cancer worldwide

• In 2008, some 70% fatalities by cancer occurred in countries with low or average revenues

• According to projections, mortality caused by cancer will continue increasing to exceed an estimated 13.11 million deaths in 2030

 
- Cardiovascular diseases:

• Cardiovascular diseases are the world’s first cause of mortality: each year, more people die of cardiovascular diseases than from any other factor

• We estimate that 17.3 million deaths are due to cardio vascular diseases, representing 30% of the world’s total mortality. Among these deaths, an estimated 7.3 million are due to coronary heart disease and 6.2 million to strokes (2008 statistics)

• From now to 2030, almost 23.3 million people will die of cardiovascular disease (mainly coronary heart disease or strokes). According to projections, these diseases would remain the first causes of death

• Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing risk factors such as smoking, unhealthy food diet, obesity, lack of exercise, high blood pressure, diabetes and hyperlipidemia

• 9.4 million deaths each year, i.e. 16.5% of all deaths can be attributed to high blood pressure. The latter is thus responsible for 51% of deaths by strokes and 45% of deaths by coronary heart disease

- Depression:

• Depression is a common mental disorder affecting over 350 million people worldwide.

• Breakdowns are the first cause for inability and strongly impact the global disease statistics.

- Overweight and obesity:

• Overweight and obesity are the world’s fifth fatality risk factor causing the death of at least 2.8 million adults each year. Moreover, 44% of diabetes cases, 23% of ischemic heart disease cases and 7 to 41% cases of certain cancers can be attributed to overweight and obesity.

• On a worldwide scale, the number of obesity cases doubled since 1980

• 35% of adults of 20 years and over were overweighed and 11% obese (2008 estimation)

• More than 40 million children under 5 are overweight (2011 estimation)

• Higher consumption of high calorie fat foods

• A growing lack of physical activity due to more and more sedentary ways of working, the evolution of transports and urbanisation

Source of information: World Health Organisation’s Fact Sheets

Maintain our health capital, a new Art of Living starting in our plates as early as childhood.

Our Advice:

- Low caloric density: your scales will thank you.
- High nutritional density: a rich diet for your cells.
- High antioxidant score: to slow down your cells’ ageing process.
- Low glycemic load: your pancreas will thank you.
- Fatty acid balance: your heart and neurons will thank you.
- Acid-base balance: your bones and tissues will thank you.
- Low sodium/potassium ratio: your blood pressure will thank you.
- Higher intake of dietary fibre: your intestine and guests will thank you.