• Question: Hi everyone. Why are excessive takeaways and alcohol generally not good for your health, and why does exercise lower your chances of certain diseases? Thank you

    Asked by anon-244767 on 4 May 2020.
    • Photo: Juhi Gupta

      Juhi Gupta answered on 4 May 2020:

      Great question! Eating too many foods containing high levels of fat can lead to problems such as blocked arteries (blood vessels), which can lead to problems like heart disease. Likewise, eating lots of sugary food can lead to the body becoming overwhelmed with processing sugars (or glucose) and can lead to conditions such as type 2 diabetes. Excessive alcohol consumption also leads to the same problems as eating high fat-containing or sugary foods but is also linked to a higher chance of cancers, for example, liver cancer. It recommended that we try and keep our meals balanced, but exercise is also good for our health. Exercise can help reduce the bad cholesterols in our body which can come from fast foods but also helps improve muscle strength, control weight and improve blood circulation (helping manage blood sugar levels).

    • Photo: Sophie Pritchard

      Sophie Pritchard answered on 4 May 2020:

      Hello, great question! Takeaways and alcohol tend not to be very nutritious. They contain many toxins, rather than proteins and good fats (unsaturated) needed for the growth and repair of our bodies. Although they taste nice, too many takeaways and too much alcohol result in an unbalanced diet. As Juhi has rightly said, they are full of bad fats (saturated) which clog up our blood vessels and cling to our organs. Too much fat around our hearts, makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood around our bodies, which leaves us more susceptible to cardiovascular disease. It is also bad for our digestive systems, and it leaves our gut flora (gut bacteria) unbalanced meaning we’re more susceptible to infection. Alcohol causes damage to our livers, which takes many years to recover and repair. It also impairs brain function and can lead to cognitive impairment (reduced brain function) in severe cases. On the other hand, exercise helps to keep our weight down reducing the strain on our organs and joints. It is also vital for our mental health and to maintain cognitive (brain) function.
      I hope this has helped to answer your question, and encourages you to follow a healthy balanced lifestyle 🙂

    • Photo: Lucy McGowan

      Lucy McGowan answered on 4 May 2020: last edited 4 May 2020 1:57 pm

      Juhi and Sophie have already given very thorough answers – so I’d like to add something about bone health (since I’m a little biased in that area). Exercise is really important for making your bones strong throughout your life. The cells which make new bone (osteoblasts) and live inside your bone (osteocytes) can actually sense mechanical pressure and forces. These forces come from muscle tugging on the bone when you move. When your bone cells sense mechanical stress (from exercise), they start to produce more bone to make the skeleton stronger. This is (one of the reasons) why older people who are typically less mobile are more likely to have fragile bones that break more easily. By doing regular, balanced exercise you can help encourage your body to make strong bones and prevent fractures.

      Another cool example of this is when astronauts go to space. Gravity pulling us down to earth is what makes exercise hard work. Because of microgravity at the international space station, astronauts have abnormally low levels of strain on their bones and muscles. Their bones and muscles become lazy because they don’t receive the necessary mechanical cues and don’t make enough bone. To try to counter this, astronauts must do lots of exercise at the space station to stay healthy e.g. running strapped on to a treadmill. Even despite this, astronauts come back from space with much weaker bones and less muscle mass. Loads of research studies have been carried out on the effect of microgravity on astronauts’ health. This has told us a lot about how exercise and strain affects our normal physiology.

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