Half of us have chronic diseases. Even teenagers. In addition, life expectancy in Poland has decreased. We live more than three years shorter than the citizens of richer EU countries. We evaluate our health as good. Apparently, the opinion about Polish complaining is exaggerated.
We assess our own health better and better. Unfortunately, this does not mean that we are getting healthier. We just don’t realize that some disease is secretly developing in our body. Here are the hard data – from the GUS report on the health of Poles. What’s wrong with us?
No symptoms
The most common symptom of the disease is pain, which prompts us to see a doctor. Unfortunately, many diseases do not present any symptoms. Diabetologists estimate that one million people in Poland have elevated sugar levels and do not know it. – This means that every fourth diabetic is not aware of his disease, which deceptively destroys his body – says diabetologist prof. Krzysztof Strojek. Hypertension does not hurt either. About 3 million adult Poles are unaware that they suffer from arterial hypertension, which may lead to a heart attack and stroke. Every third Pole between the ages of 18 and 34 has too high a total cholesterol level and the vast majority do not know it, allowing the development of atherosclerosis. Also, many cancers show no symptoms. And although the incidence of cancer in Poland is lower compared to the EU average, many more Poles die from it – 10% more women and 20% more men. – Higher mortality is associated with low cancer detection in the early stages – explains the oncologist Prof. Jacek Jassem. It is estimated that in Poland about 70-80% of sick Poles go to the oncologist too late.
A little on your own wishes
Prof. Zbigniew Gaciong from the Medical University of Warsaw emphasizes that life expectancy is primarily related to lifestyle. It is estimated that it decides about it in over 50%. According to WHO, community health is also influenced by inherited genes, economic living conditions, level of education, and interpersonal relationships in close surroundings and in the family. To a lesser extent, the availability and use of healthcare. The life expectancy of the inhabitants of Poland is strongly varied by social factors. People in their 30s with tertiary education can expect to live longer than those with a basic or vocational education, on average 12 years for men and about 5 years for women. The inhabitants of cities with less than 5 have the shortest life expectancy. inhabitants, the largest agglomerations for the longest time.
In Polish style
The lifestyle that determines the length of life consists mainly of diet, physical activity, smoking and drinking alcohol. Although Poles assess their health well, they admit that their diet is not the healthiest. Among vegetables, we still like the potato the most, which is not viewed favorably by nutritionists. Almost half of Poles do not eat other vegetables at least once a day. This is worrying because, according to the latest recommendations of the Food and Nutrition Institute, vegetables should be the largest part of the daily menu. As emphasized by prof. Mirosław Jarosz, director of the Food and Nutrition Institute, we must eat vegetables preferably with every meal, i.e. at least four times a day.
Meanwhile, the Central Statistical Office report shows that only 57% of people eat vegetables, excluding potatoes, at least once a day. Men especially avoid them. Only 47% of men eat vegetables other than potatoes every day.
Little active
According to a report by the Central Statistical Office of Poland, only one in three people engage in sport among twenty-year-olds, and one in four among thirty-year-olds. The average time spent on this activity is 62 minutes for 20-year-olds, while for 30-year-olds – 48 minutes per week. It is even worse among the elderly. Meanwhile, cardiologists recommend physical activity such as stroke and heart attack prevention at least three times a week and at least 45 minutes each. At the same time, they add that a walk is definitely not enough. According to the results of the GUS survey, sport is practiced by every fourth inhabitant of cities, while in the countryside – only every seventh. The average time devoted to such activity for a rural inhabitant is 2 times shorter than for a town inhabitant. Interestingly, women are much less physically active, and even if they exercise, it is shorter than men.
Two-year-old in front of the monitor
We work for our health from early childhood. Meanwhile, the results of the CSO survey show that children spend an average of 2,2 hours a day in front of a TV screen or computer monitor or other electronic mobile device. Already 2-year-olds spend an average of 1,5 hours a day on this. The most time – nearly 3 hours – is it for 14-year-olds.
Fortunately, we smoke less and less. Over the last 5 years, the percentage of smokers has dropped by more than 3 percentage points from 29% to 26%.
Compared to the results of the previous study, the percentage of adults who drink alcohol also decreased by more than 2 points. percentage Every 4th adult man and every 11th adult woman drink at least once a week. Men living in cities, divorced, married or in a partnership or with higher and post-secondary education consume alcohol more often. On the other hand, among women, drinking alcohol at least once a week, is primarily a city dweller, aged 20-39, well-educated, living in a relationship.
Beer or wine
When it comes to the preferences of Poles who drink at least once a week, 64% of men declare drinking only beer, and 14% of beer combined with vodka. Women most often declared drinking only beer – every third drinker or only wine a week (also every third), or these two types of alcohol. Drinking only beer was declared especially by young people up to 30 years of age, while only wine by mature and elderly people and women. Drinking only vodka or other spirits – which may be surprising – was declared more often by women and the elderly.
Consuming alcohol several times a week does not have to be disturbing, if you drink little and also weak alcohol, e.g. a glass of wine or half a glass of beer. Provided, of course, this regularity does not make us addicted.