Problem
Michael is a 45-year-old male with a BMI of 35. He just had his annual physical exam and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and has gained significant weight over the course of the last year.
Medical History:
Michael has previous history of chronic disease but no major hospitalization. However, he has been diagnosed with high serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels since he was in the 9th grade. He also suffers from hypertension and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). He does not take any supplements. He is lactose intolerant; but otherwise has no food allergies.
Family History:
Michael's father suffers from hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and coronary heart disease. His grandfather died from a heart attack at the age of 63. His mother is type 2 diabetic.
Michael lived in family that is considered physically inactive and mostly consumed processed and fast foods. Fast food was a quick and great way to get food on the table and was a convenient option for his working parents. Most of his family members are classified as either overweight or obese.
Social History:
Michael has been overweight since the 5th grade. The peak of his weight gain was during adolescents and continued throughout high school and college; he was never able to lose that weight from then after.
His dietician attributes his weight gain to social stress (being bullied and not liking his physical image) and job stress as well as his eating habits (he eats out at least 5 times/week for lunch and dinner). Michael's dietary pattern is identified as a "Western Diet" that is rich in added sugars, saturated fats and high in protein and is low in fruit, vegetable and whole grain intake.
He smokes a pack of cigarettes a day and reports that he has little opportunity to exercise. He also feels embarrassed to work out in the gym and in public because he "does not know how to use the equipment properly and lacks the knowledge of the various activities he can do. Despite his dietician's advice and the strict instructions of his physician, Michael is having a hard time understanding what he needs to do and wants to understand more about his condition and how his dietary and physical activity habits and behavior can help him with his condition.
Task
1) Define chronic disease
2) Define the different diseases Michael suffers from.
3) Explain how gender, age, dietary habits, physical activity level, BMI and smoking can affect the prevalence of these diseases (explain each one separately)
4) Explain how his family history of chronic diseases plays a role in increasing the risk of each disease (the role of genetics in chronic diseases).