The Effects of Diet - Free Essay Sample

Introduction

Hypertension affects more than 50 million people in the United States (Bacon et al., 2012). Although many medications can help control high blood pressure, they are often not the best solutions for everyone. Many patients on anti-hypertensives do not always adhere to medication, causing more harm to the state of their health. Nonetheless, various studies apply behavioral interventions, such as diet and exercise, which can help manage high blood pressure and improve patient’s quality of life (Bacon et al., 2012).

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Diet and exercise combined have been studied extensively and have been proven to reduce high blood pressure significantly. Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the US, in which hypertension plays a significant role (Bacon et al., 2012). Blood pressure is a modifiable risk factor that can help diminish cardiovascular diseases if managed appropriately. The majority of studies have shown consistent results in a significant association between higher fitness levels and lower BP. Besides, decreased sodium intake and the DASH diet can further reduce hypertension in middle-aged adults, who are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease (Bacon et al., 2012). Maseli et al. (2017) avers that there is an extensive amount of research regarding lifestyle modifications that include diet and physical activity. The critics conclude that these two are fundamental in lowering blood pressure since they reverse the damage on the individual’s arteries.

Statement of the Problem

The prevalence of hypertension in society has risen concerns among clinicians. Maldonado-Martin et al. (2016) postulate that there are varied factors that affect blood pressure. Among the stipulated factors in this research are the environmental factors, including psychological factors, physical activities and toxins. For example, Maldonado-Martin et al. (2016) posit that the dietary factors have a predominant role in Blood Pressure (BP) homeostasis. They also add that there are changes in diet that can regulate blood pressure, both non-hypertensive persons and prehypertensive individuals. At a more significant margin, these changes can bring a lower BP to highly hypertensive persons and normalize their lives. Notably, reducing BP in societies can significantly change people's lives by creating beneficial health impacts on them.

Clinicians argue that a 3–mm HG systolic BP reduction can lead to an 8% stroke mortality reduction as well as a 5% reduction of deaths from coronary heart disease (Blumenthal et al., 2010). Further, when the hypertension is not complicated and in its early stages (systolic BP of 140 to 159 mm hg or diastolic BP of 90 to 99 mm HG), changes in diet can even be the only initial treatment that these persons receive before they are initiated into the drugs world (Blumenthal et al., 2010). Further, the critics reaffirm that many hypertensive individuals can significantly lower their BP with increased dietary observance. In addition to dietary compliance, this report adds that physical exercise is also useful for people with hypertension. Middle-aged adults should be among the leading groups in exercising these therapies.

Several critics have examined what multiple dietary factors can do to one's blood pressure. The research concludes that weight loss, low salt intake and even minimized intake of alcoholic drinks can reduce blood pressure (Maseli et al.,2017). Besides, dietary patterns and boosted potassium intake regarding "DASH diet" recommendations have also positively regulated blood pressure. Many researchers have focused on older adults, as they are the persons who are seen to be at higher risk of hypertensive related illnesses ((Fryar et al., 2017). Hence diet and exercise in daily lives have been incorporated for bring control hypertension. These two are more practical and preferred to drug therapy (Philip, 2020). The focus on BP regulation is catalyzed by the understanding that increased or unregulated BP can bring about an increase in cardiovascular disease. In research conducted by Blumenthal et al. (2010), there is an indication that DASH-WM persons show meaningful blood pressure and improvement in varied risk cardiovascular biomarkers. Also, participants of the DASH-WM category are portrayed to possess improved sensitivity to insulin and glucose tolerance.

Since there is promising research on preventive measures for BP control among the aged in society today, this study aims at examining hypertension and how it is impacted by diet and exercise among middle-aged adults. This study hypothesizes that dietary and exercise are likely to bring down the levels of BP for hypertensive individuals. Many researchers have come out to investigate and evaluate what physical activity does in regulating blood pressure. Some have even focused on investigating: the length, the frequency, the volume, and even intensity of the exercise and diets and how they normalize blood pressure. However, very few researchers have focused on the effects of diet and training on managing hypertension in middle-aged adults. To fill the knowledge gap, we aim to investigate the effects of dieting and physical exercise on the management of hypertension in middle-aged adults.

Background and Significance

Statistical data from various research shows that the prevalence of hypertension is associated with an increase in age and Body Mass Index (BMI). Adults older than fifty years are known to be five times likely to be hypertensive than adults between eighteen years and twenty-four years. Between 2015 and 2016, the national center for health statistics study showed that the hypertension prevalence among adults was 29.0%, where the prevalence among men was higher at 30.2% than that of women at 27.7% (Fryar et al., 2017). However, for adults aged 60 years and above, men had a lower prevalence of 58.5% than women who had a 66.8% prevalence (Fryar et al., 2017). Also, obese and overweight people are prevalent in hypertension as compared to those with standard body weights.

Several studies have been conducted to establish the pivotal role of exercise and diet in managing hypertension among middle-aged adults. In Philip (2020) article about the role of exercise and diet in managing hypertension, he identifies some modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors of hypertension. He identified age, gender, family history, and gender as the non-modifiable risk factors of hypertension. Some modifiable risk factors included excess salt dietary intake, lack of exercise, excess alcohol consumption, overweight or obese, and caffeine consumption (Crilly, 2020). Therefore, Crilly postulates that healthy eating is a fundamental lifestyle change that can control or prevent hypertension. He expounds that diet has a significant effect on the Blood Pressure (BP). Various studies recommend salt intake should be limited to six grams per day; the consumption of caffeine should be at most four cups in a day while the alcohol consumption should be fourteen units per week.

According to Public Health England (PHE), "eat well guide," a bigger percentage of a person’s diet should be slow-release carbohydrates, protein and a small amount of dairy per day. In line with this, foods that are high in salt and sugar, such as chocolate, are not recommended (Bacon et al., 2016). Consequently, PHE mobilizes for an increase in the level of physical activity across the population. Seventy-five minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week is recommended or one hundred fifty minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per day. Although exercises do not have a significant influence on the body's fat distribution, it is pivotal to the maintenance of weight loss (Blumenthal et al., 2010). Therefore, very fundamental if the BP of an individual is associated with weight loss. Bacon et al. (2016) postulate that an intervention that involves exercise reduces the SBP in hypertensive patients by 7.14-12.5 mm Hg, and weight loss reduces DPB by 5.6-7.9mm Hg, respectively. Conclusively, it is evident that the knowledge of the effects of exercise and diet on BP is significant in the treatment and prevention of hypertension.

Theoretical Framework

The Health Belief Model (TBM) will be used as the theoretical framework in this research. Therefore, the theory of health belief will be used to generate a conceptual framework by drawing relationships between dependent and independent variables. The impact of exercising and diet on hypertension management is a problem in managing health (CDC, 2018). Besides, compliance in the adoption of a healthy diet and management of health programs has been associated with inadequacy concerning conceptual clarity and theoretical clarity in research.

The inadequacy of conceptual and theoretical clarity results in inconsistent and contradictory findings. This work will focus more on providing a detailed explanation of the phenomena of compliance on a good diet and exercise on the management of hypertension. Also, the research will give directions for future research (Orji, 2012). Additionally, the Health Belief Model will demonstrate its application in preventing health hazards and adherence to health requirements. Therefore, it will offer a conceptual framework useful for managing hypertension through a balanced diet and exercising.

The generalization of this model to managing hypertension will be an outgrowth of the Health Belief Model's theoretical strength and the similarities between the management of hypertension and other health behavior (Saneei, 2014). Also, I expect that various variables will exhibit a significant relationship among each other with regard to this model. Furthermore, the manifestation of signs of hypertension, the reminders of health threats, and information awareness will affect beliefs about severity and susceptibility. Therefore, it is not the cue that prompts an individual to take health action directly but the belief.

Demographic variables such as age, race, and sex; sociopsychological variables such as peer and reference group, social class and personality; and structural factors, such as prior experience and knowledge about the disease may impact health behavior, but these variables influence the behavior only passively by modifying other components of the model (Mahdavi, 2017). The model's significant features are; perceived benefits, barriers, severity, and susceptibility. The remaining modifying factors, cues to action and health value will act as an explanatory antecedent to the key components.

Concluison

If we can help manage blood pressure by lifestyle modifications, we can help treat the underlying problem instead of temporarily fixing the issue using medication alone. Studies have shown the beneficial effects of adhering to a combination of modifiable risk factors instead of only one individual modifiable risk factor (Lelong et al., 2019). Chronic high blood pressure can lead to changes in the vessels' structural integrity in our body, leading to possible myocardial infarctions and strokes. More studies on this topic should be conducted to reduce preventable deaths and increase longevity in our population.