4490: Why these numbers matter for your future

Please note: Our understanding of Australia’s health needs is constantly evolving. While everything contained within this article is still true and relevant, since time of publishing we’ve added a new modifiable behaviour factor and a new non-communicable disease.

For our most-up-to-date insights into the nation’s health, please visit our 5590+ framework.

There are so many numbers to remember these days – passwords, addresses, phone numbers, membership codes, and the list goes on. Most are probably pretty handy to know off by heart too, especially if you can’t be bothered looking them up every time you need them.

But there’s an especially important number that’s not just useful to remember – it could actually save your life: 4490.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are four controllable lifestyle behaviours – physical inactivity, poor nutrition, smoking and excess alcohol – which lead to non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, respiratory and heart disease. Non-communicable diseases are responsible for 90% of deaths in Australia.

Here’s the break-down:

• Physical inactivity
• Unhealthy diet
• Smoking
• Excess alcohol

While it’s great that modern life is so full of convenience, speed and ways to be digitally connected, those positives can also lead to some negatives – namely, a sedentary lifestyle from office work and bingeing on favourite TV shows, and poor eating due to processed and convenience foods.

On top of this, 17.4% of Australian adults drink more than two standard drinks on average per day, which put them in the ‘risky’ category, and 12.8% of Australian adults smoke. Aside from causing daily discomfort, sluggishness and strain, these four main risks to your health are directly linked to four of the main non-communicable diseases in Australia.

• Respiratory disease
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular disease

It’s a confronting thought that these preventable diseases are so connected to our lifestyle choices, but it can also be a hopeful one. Whether easy to discard or hard to shake, the simple fact about a lifestyle choice is that it can be changed. And embracing positive change won’t just improve your day-to-day, it could also help you to avoid joining the next number – the 90 percent of the population who die of non-communicable diseases every year.

90 percent is a huge portion of the population to lose their lives to non-communicable diseases – but it doesn’t have to be like this. Identifying ways to be kinder to your body and then adjusting your habits, routines and indulgences accordingly, can have a wonderfully positive impact on your health, while going a long way towards changing the 4490 factor in Australia today.

Source: World Health Organisation – NCD Country Profiles, 2014

Staff writers come from a range of backgrounds including health, wellbeing, music, tech, culture and the arts. They spend their time researching the latest data and trends in the health market to deliver up-to-date information, helping everyday Australians live healthier lives. This is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances. The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances 

Disclaimer:
This is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a financial adviser, or medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.