From the time people are very young, even as young as five years old, they can start developing tissue deposits, called plaque, in the lining of their arteries.
For many people, these deposits never cause trouble.
For others, they can be a killer.
The growth of these tissue deposits is called arteriosclerosis.
Ischemic heart disease is the proper medical term for reduced blood flow to the heart - it is ultimately caused by hardened or blocked arteries, and it is the number one cause of death in most western countries.
These tissue deposits grow, the arteries enlarge to a degree to try and accommodate blood flow.
However, if the deposit of plaque ruptures, the particles clog blood passages causing, in the worst cases a heart attack or stroke.
Give the fats a miss.
In Europe and the United States, calories are cheap and plentiful.
For an hour's wage, a person can buy a meal containing a pound of meat.
However, in some countries, a pound of meat is a treat to be divided within one family once a month.
No doctor recommends either extreme of poor or rich food, but rather, everyone needs a healthy, balanced, but lean diet to prevent ischemic heart disease.
Medical professions and scientists know what causes ischemic heart disease:a fatty diet, inaction, and smoking.
While smoking is certainly not limited to rich countries, a fatty diet and inaction are luxuries of middle- and upper-class populations.
Some doctors have an idea about using peer pressure to make Westerners make themselves healthier.
Thirty years ago, few Americans wore seatbelts and many more smoked cigarettes than now do.
The implementation of new laws played a part in changing behavior, but in both of these cases, peer pressure really started the trend.
And many scientists, nutritionists, and activists, worried about ischemic heart disease, are trying to repeat the trend for healthier diets.
This power of healthy suggestion seems to be working on restaurants.
Especially since 2004, fast food chains have started to offer healthier menu choices such as yogurt, salads, and fruit.
Many restaurants now print nutrition information on their menus and offer specifically "heart-smart" recipes.
Will people take advantage of healthier menus, city recreation departments, and fresh vegetables at the grocery store?At present, it does not seem so.
It's predicted that 75% of all Americans will be overweight by 2008.
Despite the warnings, extra weight and the bad diet and inactivity that usually accompany it are causing an epidemic of ischemic heart disease throughout the Western world.
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