1. Dieting: A study suggested that on an average British women spend about 17 years of their life trying to lose weight. And that’s not just restricted to British women. The dieting craze is more common among Indian women. Young women follow fad diets out of body consciousness, whereas married and traditional women follow the trend of dieting as a part of the ‘fasting’ culture. Dieting or fad diets increase metabolic stress on your body making you more prone to nutritional deficiencies. Lack of balanced diet is also associated with increased risk of obesity, diabetes and heart diseases.
Making dietary changes as a part of weight loss goal is important but that should not make you obsessive to an extent that you start starving yourself. Women of all age groups need more amount of certain nutrients than men. And with fad diets you will lose out on all your essential nutrients. Here are 7 reasons crash diets aren’t good for you.
2. Lack of Exercise: A study conducted by the Public Health Foundation of India showed that about 29 per cent of the adult population in India does not exercise or barely moves, to be precise. Among those, about one third of women (34 percent) had inadequate physical activity. Most married women tend to put on weight after getting married. And homemakers are further less likely to get exercise than men. Women should get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day. Women who exercise in their midlife protect themselves against osteoporosis, depression, cancer and obesity.
3. Disturbed sleep: Indian women (6.5%) outnumber men (4.3%), when it comes to disturbed sleep. Women are more likely to develop sleep problems than men because of frequent changes in their hormonal levels. Women are also more emotional which often has a negative impact on their health. Factors like stress, family responsibilities, fear, pre-menstrual period, menopause and pregnancy are most common causes affecting sleep pattern in women. These factors in turn lead to major health conditions like migraine, chronic depression, hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol and heart diseases. Here are 10 tips for better sleep (World Sleep Day)
4. Alcohol: There’s no denying that more and more number of women, especially working women, are adopting the drinking habit. Based on the increasing rate of alcohol consumption in Indian women, a study has estimated that women’s market for alcohol in India will grow by 25 percent over the next five years. This estimated rate is faster than the overall 10 percent rise estimated for the alcohol industry. You should understand that alcohol can affect you in a different way than it affects men.
Alcohol addiction is more harmful for a woman’s body because it tends to induce permanent hormonal changes in the body. Women have greater chances of developing liver damage and heart disease than men who drink the same amount of alcohol. Additionally, young women who drink have higher chances of facing problems during pregnancy. Alcohol can be very harmful to the foetus as well. Women who drink are more vulnerable to sexual abuse which increases the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
5. Smoking: According to a new study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, the frequency of smoking among Indian men has reduced significantly (from 33.8 per cent in 1980 to 23 per cent in 2012). But, there is no change in the number of women smokers. Even the Public Health Foundation notes that the situation of women smokers in India is more alarming than anywhere in the world.
The problem is that when women smoke, they are not just destroying their own health but also the health of future generations. Women who smoke have greater chances of delivering children with birth abnormalities. They also pre-dispose themselves to lung cancer and breast cancer.
6. Medications: Studies have shown that women are more likely to self medicate than men. A Spanish study suggested that the increased tendency of women to suffer from emotional disorders could be the reason why they self-medicate more often. Self medication is associated with a lot of health risks including adverse side-effects, kidney disease, drug allergies and increased risk of stroke. The number of pregnant women who pop pills is also high. Taking drugs without prescription during pregnancy can cause birth defects and also affect lactation after delivery.
You may also like to read:
- 10 healthiest foods for women (Gallery)
- Top 15 women’s health concerns
- Top 5 fitness tips for women
- Women’s special dietary needs
- Revealed – why women are likelier to die of a heart attack
- Revealed – guidelines for stroke prevention in women
- Smoking could lead to early menopause in women
- Hair loss in women – which of these 10 reasons are causing yours?
- World Osteoporosis Day: Ladies, beware of fractures post-menopause
- Hormone therapy after menopause — all your queries answered
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6 things that increase health risks in women
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