Andres

Anatomy
2/28/16

Disease
All living organism, from plants to animals, run the constant risk of being subjected to disease.
Disease can be recognized as an impairment of the normal state of the living organism or as a
disturbance to the performance of various vital functions. They are a response to environmental factors
such as industrial hazards, malnutrition, or climate. They can also be a response to pathogens or
infective agents such as worms, bacteria, or viruses. Most diseases are distinguished by signs and
symptoms that are unique to specific diseases.
Generally, homeostasis and disease are inversely related. As the body fights disease, it is also
being thrown off balance. The term homeostasis can be broken down into roots for better
understanding. The prefix Homeo- means similar to and the suffix -stasis derives from the word static
meaning standing still. In reference to the body, this describes a rhythm of orderly function. Disease
requires immediate action to prevent serious damage to one's body. The body must act quickly to
prevent the causes and effects of specific diseases, which requires the body systems to works much
harder. All throughout the world, the most notable diseases include obesity, cardiovascular disease, and
diabetes.
Obesity is a complex disorder which consists of having too much body fat. Obesity occurs over
time when a person is consuming more calories than they can get rid of. The balance between caloriesin and calories-out varies between people. Some factors that may affect one's weight may include
overeating, consumption of high-fat foods, and the lack of physical exercise. Throughout the years
statistics regarding obesity have skyrocketed. More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of the adult
population in the United States are obese. For children or adolescents in between the ages of 2-19,

obesity is approximately 17% or 12.7 million. The main problem with obesity is that it increases the
risk of other numerous diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, and various types of cancers.
Heart disease contains numerous problems, many in which are of relation to a process
commonly know as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition that develops when a plague builds
up in the wall of the arteries which narrows the arteries making it difficult for the the blood flow to
carry on. To a serious extent, a blood clot could form, stopping the blood flow entirely. This will lead to
a person experiencing a heart attack or stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death,
taking the lives of 17.3 million people per year. This number is expected to grow to more than 23.6
million by 2030.
Every time a person eats, their body turns the food into glucose. While this happens, the
pancreas begins to secrete a substance known as insulin which allows glucose to enter cells, which is
then converted to energy. In the case of diabetes, this process doesn't function correctly. In type 1
diabetes, the body recognizes the insulin as foreign, therefore attacking itself and destroying the
insulin. But in type 2 diabetes, the pancreas is able to produce small amounts of insulin, but not nearly
enough to sustain the body at a healthy state. In the last decade, statistics show that almost 50% of
people suffer from diabetes. Diabetes afflicts more than 380 million people worldwide.
The most noticeable factor that has a definite affect to the well-being of someone is the rising
consumption of fast food products. Fast food restaurants themselves aren't the problem, but the people
who don't know when it is time to stop eating it. All the diseases explained above, could be prevented if
daily exercise was included to a person's routine.