Urbanites and 4 common Health Issues

If you are like the majority of Malaysians living in the city, you are likely to:

• rely on driving to get you to where you need (93% car ownership ranks us third highest in the world)
• work in a deskbound job eight hours a day (67.8% workforce participation)
• eat out for most of your meals (64% eat one meal out of home)

These lifestyle behaviours may seem like just that – every day actions we participate in to keep on living. However, some of what we are doing may be causing the opposite by increasing the risk of some illnesses. With more Malaysians moving to the city to earn a living, what are some risk factors we should be aware of, and how can we manage them? 

One recent study showed that Malaysians walk very little daily. At 3,963 steps daily, we are below the global average of 5,000 and the third lowest worldwide. Another recent news article stated that we’d rather drive to locations as close as 200m away than walk! Coupled with our love for food and regularly eating out, it’s a recipe for obesity and a sedentary lifestyle that also increases the risk of other health conditions like hypertension and diabetes. 

The habit of walking brings plenty of benefits to our health. Not only is it an easy and affordable way to stay active, it also benefits joints, muscles and can be done anywhere. Even taking the steps instead of the lift helps to elevate your heartrate. Studies have also shown that having home cooked meals can help a person to lose weight or stay trim.

• Avoid a sedentary lifestyle by working while standing at a desk, or get up and stretch every hour
• Walk or exercise at least 30 minutes daily
• Have more home-cooked meals 

Stress may not directly contribute to the occurrence of heart disease, but how we handle stress may. When some people handle stress poorly (like taking up smoking as a form of relief, overeating, binge eating or conversely, skipping meals), they are exposing themselves to higher risk of developing heart disease, which is the number one cause of death among Malaysians.

Overcome this by having healthy stress management techniques and practicing a low cholesterol and low fat diet.

• Have healthy outlets of stress relief like a sport or listening to music. Better yet, pick up a physical activity you enjoy doing like hiking or futsal and do it with friends, family or colleagues – engaging with people in a social setting helps to alleviate depression, while engaging in physical activity keeps your heart healthy!
• Up your intake of foods that blocks the body from absorbing cholesterol like oats, whole grains and barley 

Malaysians are known to consume copious amounts of sugar (26 teaspoons a day!) be it in the morning coffee, after-lunch bubble tea or at tea with the beloved Teh Tarik. In 2016, 17.5% of Malaysians above age 18 live with diabetes. It’s not just affecting adults, however – children can also get diabetes (link to children diabetes article).

Diabetes and obesity go somewhat hand-in-hand. People with type 2 diabetes are likely to be overweight or obese, while overweight or obese people are at risk to develop diabetes. In addition to the tips above on obesity, you can manage or lower risk of diabetes by: 

• Managing your intake of sugar. Where possible, request for less or no sugar in your beverages
• Manage your weight. Having a healthy BMI also helps to reduce your risk of contracting diabetes 

In recent years, there has been a steady rise of all kinds of pollution whether it is contaminated water, soil, city noise, light and even chemical. Most notably, our cities experience its fair share of air pollution no thanks to smog from daily vehicles making its way into the city center, and annually, the open burning from neighboring countries.

A study conducted in the United States also showed that children who live in crowded urban neighbourhoods have higher rates of asthma than their rural counterparts. Apart from pollution, other triggers that increase the risk of asthma are seasonal pollens and dust mite allergens. 

You can alleviate symptoms of asthma or respiratory diseases by:

• Protecting yourself by wearing a mask when walking on or past busy roads or highways. Places with heavy traffic contain more air pollutants that irritate the airways
• Ensuring living or working spaces are well-ventilated and have clean air circulating. 
• Purifying the air around you with the help of air sterilisers such as those by MedKlinn that are highly effective in eliminating both surface-bound and airborne fine particles found in haze and micro-organisms. (AIA Vitality members enjoy a 25% discount on this cutting-edge eco-friendly technology!)

Living in rural or urban areas bring with it unique risks, challenges and opportunities to improve your wellbeing. Having a healthy lifestyle that involves physical exercise, balanced eating and care for mental wellness are key to surviving and thriving wherever you are located.