Ever wonder what doctors talk about around the dinner table? Well this might be one of their table topics: should doctors treat lack of exercise as a medical condition? What do you think?
The top 3 causes of death in the United States are mostly preventable. The number 1 cause of death is heart disease. Want to know the cure? Regular exercise and proper diet. The number 1 cause of death results directly from inactivity. That’s certainly a good reason to make inactivity a medical condition!
Cause of death #2 is cancer. This refers to all kinds of cancer, including throat and lung cancer caused by smoking. However, there have been many studies done regarding the affects of exercise on cancer, and in most types (including breast cancer) exercise has been proven as a way to prevent cancer. Making healthy choices is another way to prevent premature death by cancer!
The 3rd most common causes of death are chronic respiratory diseases. This included Asthma, Emphysema and Bronchitis. Respiratory diseases make exercising tricky and dangerous. However in some milder forms of respiratory illnesses, like mild asthma, exercise can actually help reduce symptoms of the disease. Once again, exercise looks like a key factor in death prevention.
All this proves is that exercise is important to being healthy. But does that mean inactivity is something doctors should tell you what behaviors you should and shouldn’t engage in? Drinking and smoking are both things doctors advise against. Do you think inactivity falls into the same category? Or is it a personal lifestyle choice? Feel free to leave us with your thought on this in the comments section.
