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The map of the world with the occurrence of inflammatory bowel disease leaves no space for doubts. It is a disease of highly developed Western countries. IBD is in a group of a dozen or so other medical conditions which could be marked on the same map alongside this one. Does it mean that wealthy people are digging themselves into a hole of their own accord? Only recently have we started to link certain diseases with affluent lifestyles. Once we have realised the connection, it will be easier to tackle the problem. Or will it not?
Mapa świata z zaznaczoną częstotliwością występowania nieswoistego zapalenia jelit nie pozostawia wątpliwości. Jest to choroba wysoko rozwiniętych krajów zachodniego świata. W tej samej grupie jest jeszcze kilkanaście innych schorzeń, których występowanie pokrywa się z nieswoistym zapaleniem jelit. Czy to oznacza, że zamożni ludzi wpędzają się w kłopoty zdrowotne na własne życzenie? Dopiero od niedawna łączymy pewne choroby z dostatnim trybem życia. Odkąd zdaliśmy sobie sprawę z tej korelacji, łatwiej znaleźć rozwiązanie tego problemu. Czy na pewno?
Read the text and do the exercises below.
Is Wealthy Always Healthy?It would be an exaggerationexaggeration to say that, for centuries, most of humankind owned the bare minimumbare minimum to survive. The majority of people did not even have that. Poor nutritionPoor nutrition and sanitationsanitation, as well as very limited access to medical serviceslimited access to medical services combined with lethal diseaseslethal diseases meant that the average life spanaverage life span rarely exceeded 50 years. We have vaccinationvaccination, modern medicine is much more accessible to bigger groups of people and as a result, we live well into our 80s. However, the new challenge we have to face nowadays is the diseases of affluencediseases of affluence and age which are, as the research shows, as morbidmorbid as the ones that decimateddecimated us for centuries.
We possess more and our lives are much more comfortable than any people living before us. Unfortunately, the current generation is the first one in history to encounter chronic inflammatory diseaseschronic inflammatory diseases. These conditions have been categorised as diseases of affluence and it has been for a reason. It becomes more and more obvious that the highly developed Western societies are the ones most prone toprone to suffer fromsuffer from them. There is a long list of conditions apparently resulting from long‑lasting inflammationslong‑lasting inflammations in our bodies. They are various types of cancercancer, asthma, rheumatoid arthritisrheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetestype 2 diabetes and multiple sclerosismultiple sclerosis. You name it. We still know very little about the origins of these types of diseases, but the picture that emerges from research done in this area shows that it is about the affluent lifestyle.
The rate at which some of the chronic inflammatory diseases are growing is so big that scientists unanimouslyunanimously decided that it cannot be down to genetics only. There must be an environmental componentenvironmental component which causes these unprecedented changesunprecedented changes. Although it is too early to provide any ultimate answers, it is known now that we consume the wrong diet — too little fibrefibre, to name just one problem. What’s more, we are too clean, which affects our natural microbiomenatural microbiome responsible for the balance in our intestinebalance in our intestine. We enjoy our sedentary lifestylessedentary lifestyles too much. Changes in diet, physical activity and cleanlinesscleanliness of our environment originate directly from improvements in people’s standard of living. A map showing the distribution of IBD, inflammatory bowel diseaseIBD, inflammatory bowel disease, which is a chronic gut conditionchronic gut condition, is proof. It’s a growing problem in industrialised Western societiesindustrialised Western societies. In North America, Europe and Australia, the number of people suffering from this disease has almost doubled in the last 20 years. Nations, such as China and India, which are catching upare catching up with the Western world in terms of affluence, are starting to note increasing numbers of patients suffering from this ailmentailment.
If it is true that the causes of IBD and many other chronic diseases can be traced tobe traced to the affluent lifestyles of rich people in highly developed countries,highly developed countries, it seems obvious that we need new approaches to tackle these problemstackle these problems. Indeed a new branch of medicine has appeared and is gaining momentumgaining momentum. It has been dubbed lifestyle medicinelifestyle medicine and it focuses on identifying the factors causing the disease and curing or reversingreversing it. What’s significant is the fact that scientists and doctors start to concentrate more on preventionprevention and not on using drugs and procedures to alleviate diseasesalleviate diseases which are already present.
It may not sound like “real” medicine, but to approach the diseases of the modern world doctors often offer their patients advice in terms of diet changes, exercise programmes or stress management therapiesstress management therapies instead of prescriptions for drugsprescriptions for drugs. This attitude sometimes causes resentmentcauses resentment among patients who are used to solving their medical problems with pills. It definitely takes more time and effort to adjust our habits and routines to make them more healthy.
It seems that we cannot avoid facing the fact that the comfortable lives resulting from the increase of wealth come with a hefty price tagcome with a hefty price tag. Will it make us re‑evaluate our life goalsre‑evaluate our life goals and introduce changes which might prevent us from developing the diseases of affluence? It’s up to each of us.
Źródło: Anna Posyniak‑Dutka, licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.
a) the fact that people own more possessions.
b) advancements and accessibility of medicine.
c) smaller number of lethal diseases.
d) the introduction of the decimal system.
2. We learn from the second paragraph that chronic inflammatory diseases:
a) are mostly caused by the kind of lifestyle people have nowadays in highly-developed countries.
b) lead to the development of 5 different medical conditions.
c) are common among people who have comfortable lives.
d) affect only young people.
3. People in China and India:
a) are ailed by as many diseases as people in Western countries.
b) are as rich as people in Western countries.
c) are more and more often afflicted by IBD.
d) have different microbiomes in their intestines.
4. Which sentence is not true about lifestyle medicine?
a) It is becoming more and more popular.
b) It strives to help people not to become ill.
c) It is criticised by patients who want quick solutions to their problems.
d) It prevents people from taking drugs.
5. What conclusion does the author draw in the last paragraph?
a) We cannot stop people from getting rich.
b) Introducing lifestyle changes is everybody’s individual decision.
c) People have to start buying cheaper goods.
d) People should alter their approach to diseases.
Answer the questions in 6‑7 sentences each.
Do you think it is better to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth or to be a self‑made man? Why?
What problems do affluent people face?
What can be the consequences of living beyond one’s means?
Słownik
/ ˈeɪlmənt /
schorzenie (a minor disease)
/ əˈliːvieɪt dɪˈziːzɪz / / əˈliːvieɪt dɪˈziːz /
złagodzić objawy chorób [złagodzić objawy choroby] (to make disease less severe)
/ ə ˈkætʃɪŋ ʌp / / ˈkætʃ ʌp /
doganiają [dogonić] (to reach the same level as somebody else)
/ ˈævərɪdʒ lʌɪf spæn /
średnia przewidywana długość życia (the time a given person is predicted to live)
/ ˌbæləns ɪn ˈaʊər ɪnˈtestɪn / / ˌbæləns ɪn wʌnz ɪnˈtestɪn /
równowaga w naszych jelitach [równowaga w jelitach] (the harmony in the part of the digestive system where food is broken into nutrients)
/ beə ˈmɪnɪməm /
absolutne minimum (the smallest possible amount)
/ bi treɪst tuː / / treɪs ˈsʌmthetaɪŋ tu ˈsʌmthetaɪŋ /
być łączone z, być powiązane z [łączyć coś z czymś, wywodzić coś z czegoś] (their origin can be found in/they can be related to)
/ ˈkænsə /
rak, nowotwór (a disease characterised by uncontrolled multiplication of cells)
/ ˈkɔːzɪz rɪˈzentmənt / / ˈkɔːzɪz rɪˈzentmənt /
powoduje sprzeciw [powodować sprzeciw] (to trigger a feeling of anger because you have been forced to accept something that you do not like)
/ ˈkrɒnɪk ɡʌt kənˈdɪʃn̩ /
przewlekła choroba jelit (a disease that affects intestines for a long time)
/ ˈkrɒnɪk ɪnˈflæmətr̩i dɪˈziːzɪz / / ˈkrɒnɪk ɪnˈflæmətr̩i dɪˈziːz /
przewlekłe choroby zapalne [przewlekła choroba zapalna] (a condition in which body keeps high alert even if there is no danger from outside)
/ ˈklenlɪnəs /
czystość (a state of something being spotless)
/ ˈkʌm wɪð ə ˈhefti ˈpraɪs tæɡ /
ma wysoką cenę [mieć wysoką cenę] (to be very expensive)
/ ˈdesɪmeɪtɪd / / ˈdesɪmeɪt /
dziesiątkowały [dziesiątkować] (to kill in large numbers)
/ dɪˈziːzɪz əv ˈæfluəns / / dɪˈziːz əv ˈæfluəns /
choroby cywilizacyjne [choroba cywilizacyjna] (the illnesses resulting from high standard of living and advanced age)
/ ɪnˌvaɪərənˈmentl̩ kəmˈpəʊnənt /
czynnik środowiskowy (an element of environment that has an impact on something)
/ ɪɡˌzædʒəˈreɪʃn̩ /
przesada (presenting something as more important or serious than it really is)
/ ˈfaɪbə /
błonnik (the thread‑like parts of plants)
/ ˈɡeɪnɪŋ məˈmentəm / / ɡeɪn məˈmentəm /
zyskuje popularność [zyskiwać popularność] (to increase in popularity)
/ ˈhaɪli dɪˈveləpt ˈkʌntrɪz / / ˈhaɪli dɪˈveləpt ˈkʌntri /
kraje wysoko rozwinięte [kraj wysoko rozwinięty] (a highly industrialized country that has high per capita incomes, low birth rates and death rates, low population growth rates, and high levels of industrialization and urbanization)
/ ʌɪˈbiːdiː / / ɪnˈflæmətr̩i ˈbaʊəl dɪˈziːz /
nieswoiste zapalenie jelit (a condition that affects intestines and keeps them irritated)
/ ɪnˈdʌstrɪəlaɪzd ˈwestən səˈsaɪətɪz / / ɪnˈdʌstrɪəlaɪzd ˈwestən səˈsaɪəti /
uprzemysłowione zachodnie społeczeństwa [uprzemysłowione zachodnie społeczeństwo] (any of the group of societies based in states with highly developed industry)
/ ˈliːthetal̩ dɪˈziːzɪz / / ˈliːthetal̩ dɪˈziːz /
śmiertelne choroby [śmiertelna choroba] (an illness that results in patient’s death)
/ ˈlaɪfstaɪl ˈmedsn̩ /
medycyna zajmująca się zmianami trybu życia (a branch of medicine which focuses on helping people adopt healthier habits)
/ ˈlɪmɪtɪd ˈækses tu ˈmedɪkl̩ ˈsɜːvɪsɪz /
ograniczony dostęp do służby zdrowia (restricted access to healthcare)
/ lɒŋ ˈlɑːstɪŋ ˌɪnfləˈmeɪʃn̩z / / lɒŋ ˈlɑːstɪŋ ˌɪnfləˈmeɪʃn̩ /
długotrwałe stany zapalne [długotrwały stan zapalny] (a state of certain part of body being irritated for a long time)
/ ˈmɔːbɪd /
niezdrowy/niezdrowa (relating to disease)
/ ˈmʌltɪpl̩ skləˈrəʊsɪs /
stwardnienie rozsiane (a disease in which patient’s nerves are gradually destroyed which leads to loss of faculties)
/ ˈnætʃrəl ˈmʌɪkrə(ʊ)ˌbʌɪəʊm /
naturalny mikrobiom (a natural composition of microorganisms)
/ pɔː njuːˈtrɪʃn̩ /
nieodpowiednie odżywianie (an inadequate intake of food)
/ pɔː ˌsænɪˈteɪʃn̩ /
zła higiena (a bad state of the sewage system meant to protect people's health)
/ prɪˈskrɪpʃn̩z fə ˈdrʌɡz / / prɪˈskrɪpʃn̩ fə ˈdrʌɡ /
recepty na leki [recepta na lek] (an instruction written by a medical practitioner that authorizes a patient to be issued with a medicine or treatment)
/ prɪˈvenʃn̩ /
zapobieganie (actions taken to stop something from happening)
/ prəʊn tuː /
być podatnym/podatną na (to be susceptible to something)
/ ˌri: ɪˈvæljʊeɪt ˈaʊə lʌɪf ɡəʊlz /
przemyśleć życiowe cele [przemyśleć życiowy cel] (to rethink one’s life objective)
/ rɪˈvɜːsɪŋ / / rɪˈvɜːs /
cofanie [cofnąć] (to overturn or go back)
/ ˈruːmətɔɪd ɑːˈthetaraɪtɪs /
reumatoidalne zapalenie stawów (a disease which affect connections between bones making them stiff and painful)
/ ˈsedntri ˈlaɪfstaɪl /
siedzący tryb życia (a lifestyle in which a person sits a lot and is rather inactive)
/ ˈstændəd əv ˈlɪvɪŋ /
poziom życia, status materialny (the degree of wealth and material comfort available to a person or community)
/ ˈstres ˈmænɪdʒmənt ˈthetaerəpɪz / / ˈstres ˈmænɪdʒmənt ˈthetaerəpi /
terapie zarządzania stresem [terapia zarządzania stresem] (a treatment that helps people deal with stressful situations)
/ ˈsʌfə frɒm /
cierpieć z powodu (to experience pain or hardship because of something)
/ ˈtækl̩ ðiːz ˈprɒbləmz / / ˈtækl̩ ə ˈprɒbləm /
zająć się tymi problemami [zająć się problemem] (to deal with a problem)
/ taɪp ˌtu: ˌdaɪəˈbiːtɪz /
cukrzyca typu 2 (a metabolic disease in which patients have impaired control of sugar level in their bodies)
/ juːˈnænɪməsli /
jednomyślnie (agreed by everyone in the group)
/ ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd ˈtʃeɪndʒɪz / / ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd tʃeɪndʒ /
bezprecedensowe zmiany [bezprecedensowa zmiana] (a kind of change that has never happened before)
/ ˌvæksɪˈneɪʃn̩ /
szczepienie (a process of giving somebody a substance that prevents them from becoming sick)
Źródło: GroMar Sp. z o.o.,licencja CC BY‑SA 3.0