Global health. The current scenario and future perspectives

156 Determinants 80% of cardiovascular diseases and over 30% of cancers could be prevented by eliminating smoking, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diets. Moreover, obesity, hypertension and diabetes resulting from these factors are also causes and risk factors for acute myocardial infarction, stroke and various types of cancer. All these factors and conditions are interconnected and it is not uncommon to find individuals who present 2 or 3 of these conditions (Chimeddamba et al., 2015). Studies in Chile show that the prevalence of risk factors for NCDs is directly associated with age and inversely associated with socioeconomic status, and that women are in a disadvantaged position compared to men, even though women in practically all human societies have higher life expectancies than men, though not necessarily of good quality (Jadue et al., 1999). The relationship between unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, overweight, obesity and NCDs has been the subject of multiple systematic reviews that demonstrate the higher risk of cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, hypertension and dementia in individuals who have poor dietary habits and do not engage in regular physical activity. Conversely, both a healthy dietary pattern and physical activity have consistently been associated with reduced risk across all categories of NCDs. Globally, calorie intake from meat, sugars, oils and fats has increased over the past decades, while consumption of fiber-rich foods such as whole grains, legumes and roots has declined. The consumption of ultra-processed foods continues to rise rapidly, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Consuming red and processed meat increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Saturated fats and trans fats raise blood cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk. Increased sodium/salt intake is a significant risk factor for hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and possibly stomach cancer. Diets high in meat and dairy products raise blood pressure. Overweight and obesity are associated with increased overall mortality and a higher risk of disease or death from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and various types of cancer, partly due to elevated blood pressure, blood cholesterol, insulin resistance and inflammation. Energy-dense diets, ultra-processed foods, refined starches and sugary beverages contribute to overweight and obesity. Finally, smoking and air pollution are also associated with increased risk of NCDs (Peters et al., 2019). Behind all these risk factors, various studies have shown that social