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๐ฌ Think about it
Some diseases are not "caught" from anyone. They build up slowly from our daily habits — like rust forming on a cycle left in the rain. Eating badly, sitting too much, and stress can lead to them. What are these diseases, and how do we keep them away? Let's find out.
What causes non-communicable diseases?
What brings on an NCD?
Non-communicable disease
Not caused by germs
Lifestyle
How we live day to day
Example:
Less exercise
Being overweight
Diet
What we eat
Example:
Processed food
Excess oil and sugar
Environment
Our surroundings
Example:
Air pollution
- They are linked to lifestyle, diet, and environment, not germs.
- Examples are cancer, diabetes, and asthma.
- They are the most common cause of death in India.
What are deficiency diseases?
Which nutrient is missing?
Deficiency disease
A nutrient is lacking
A vitamin is missing
The diet lacks a vitamin
Example:
Scurvy
A mineral is missing
The diet lacks a mineral
Example:
Anaemia
Goitre
- They are caused by a lack of certain nutrients in our diet.
- Examples are scurvy, anaemia, and goitre.
- They are also non-communicable diseases.
Example:
Scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C, and goitre by a lack of iodine in the diet.
What are chronic diseases?
Chronic disease
Chronic
lasting a long time
More than 3 months
it persists and needs regular care
↓
A chronic disease is one that often persists for more than 3 months.
- Chronic diseases last for a long time (more than 3 months).
- Cancer, diabetes, and asthma are chronic diseases.
- Diabetes is rising fast in adults and children in India.
๐ฌ
Activity 3.5 — Let us survey
How do we survey lifestyle diseases?
Find the three most common ones
Among the people in your neighbourhood
↓
Talk to someone who knows
A doctor, nurse, health worker, or a family member
↓
Consult trusted sources
Health websites, books, teachers and doctors
↓
Fill in the table
Signs and symptoms, and the suggested lifestyle change
↓
Obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure are lifestyle diseases — diet and exercise help prevent them
In this Activity, we will survey the lifestyle diseases around us and the changes that prevent them.
What to do
Find the three most common lifestyle-related diseases in your neighbourhood. Talk to a doctor, nurse, health worker, or family member about lifestyle changes that help prevent or manage them.
Sample findings
| Disease | Signs and symptoms | Lifestyle change |
|---|---|---|
| Obesity | Excess body weight | Balanced diet and regular exercise |
| Diabetes | Frequent urination, thirst, weight loss, tiredness, slow healing | Healthy diet, exercise, less sugar |
| High blood pressure | Headache, dizziness | Less salt, exercise, manage stress |
What we learn
Many common diseases are linked to lifestyle. Simple changes in diet and exercise can help prevent or manage them.
Obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure are lifestyle diseases — a balanced diet and exercise help prevent them.
โ Summary
- Many diseases are lifestyle-related
- Diet and exercise help prevent them
- Early changes manage them better
๐ฌ Be a scientist
- Dr. Kamal Ranadive (1917–2001) was a pioneering biomedical researcher.
- She studied how hormones and certain viruses are linked to cancer.
- Her work helped improve cancer treatment and prevention.
- She showed how tobacco, diet, and pollution can raise cancer risk.
Important Points
- Non-communicable diseases come from lifestyle, diet, and environment.
- Deficiency diseases like scurvy and goitre are non-communicable.
- Chronic diseases last more than three months.
โ
Test Yourself
-
Name two non-communicable diseases.
View Answer
Diabetes and asthma (also cancer). -
What causes deficiency diseases?
View Answer
A lack of certain nutrients in the diet. -
How long does a chronic disease last?
View Answer
More than three months. -
Name a deficiency disease.
View Answer
Scurvy, anaemia, or goitre. -
Are non-communicable diseases caused by germs?
View Answer
No. They are linked to lifestyle, diet, and environment.
Important Definitions
- Non-communicable disease — A disease not caused by pathogens that does not spread between people.
- Deficiency disease — A disease caused by a lack of a particular nutrient in the diet.
- Chronic disease — A disease that lasts a long time, usually more than three months.
๐ NCERT Question 2 — Identify the non-communicable diseases
Diseases can be broadly grouped into communicable and non-communicable diseases. From the options given below, identify the non-communicable diseases.
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๐ NCERT Question 5 — Uncle who has started smoking
Your uncle has started smoking just to fit in with his friends, even though it is well known that smoking can seriously harm health and even cause death.
View Answer →
