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Health risk tracking activities are normally connected with older people. However, there is evidence that this can be just as important in adolescence for avoiding health conditions.
Most people don’t think about their health until they must. When you’re young and healthy, it’s easy to forget about the long term. In fact, if you’re younger then you probably only think about your health when you’re sick. You may also be forced to think about it when older friends or family have health problems. This attitude itself can be a major barrier to good health, because some conditions have their roots in adolescence.
Most people only think about their health in specific situations. If you have health problems when you’re young, this will obviously change your thinking. But if you’re in reasonable health during adolescence, you probably only think about it when someone close to you gets sick. This kind of event can be a wake-up call. It can show you just how important your health is and encourage you to change your routines.
Diet and fitness are areas of health that can be concerns early in life. This type of focus might make you more aware of your activity level and diet. However, it doesn’t necessarily follow that you will start tracking other health risk factors. In addition, improving the aesthetic appeal of your body doesn’t necessarily mean improving your health.
Some claim that 36 is the age at which people start being concerned about their health. This can occur because of health problems or warnings of future issues. It can be hard to tell when to start health tracking. But according to the evidence, you should begin as early as adolescence.
Some diseases develop for years and the early stages of this development can be unnoticeable. This is a major problem, because early detection and treatment is vital for a good outcome. This is where health tracking can help. Often, your body will show subtle signs of change even years before the disease becomes a problem. These changes may be undetectable over time. But if you’re paying regular attention, you may be able to pick them up.
Here are some signs of disease that may be detected as early as adolescence:
If you gain 11 LB from early to middle adulthood it can be a sign of future problems. It increases your risk of Type II diabetes by 30 percent. Your risk of cardiovascular disease is increased by 8 percent. And your risk of high blood pressure is increased by 14 percent.
If you have a high BMI at the age of 17, it will increase your cardiovascular risk. It’s associated with left ventricular hypertrophy. This means that the heart is working harder than it should be to do its job.
Boys who gain more than 7 BMI units in adolescence are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease. This risk increased 22 percent for every extra BMI unit.
Male teenagers who have a resting heart rate above 82 BPM may risk their mental health. The risk of obsessive-compulsive behavior increases 69 percent under these conditions. High heart rates and high blood pressure in this age group is also a problem. The risk of a diagnosis of schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive behaviors, and anxiety in later life is also increased.
Health tracking during adolescence is fairly straight forward. Here’s how to get started:
Taking these easy steps will give you the best change of enjoying good health over the long term.
If you’re concerned about a health risk, try using HomeLab to keep track of your condition and any preventative measures you take. And if you see signs of a significant problem, you should check with your doctor as soon as possible.
Tags: health risk, adolescence.
