WLT focuses on young adults, early (18–25), middle (26–32), and late (33–39).WLT assumes that if young adults intentionally adopt, maintain, and continue a healthy lifestyle in the early years of life, they increase their likelihood of preventing non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes in the later years of life, thereby improving their health, well-being, and quality of life.
According to Budreviciute A, Damiati S, et al. (2020), non-communicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, are medical conditions characterized by long duration and slow progression. Most NCDs are non-infectious and result from genetic, physiological, behavioral, and environmental factors. ” Chronic diseases are defined broadly as conditions that last 1 year or more and require ongoing medical attention, limit activities of daily living, or both.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO: Key facts 2025), “Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) killed at least 43 million people in 2021, equivalent to 75% of non-pandemic-related deaths globally. In 2021, 18 million people died from an NCD before age 70 years; 82% of these premature deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries. Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths, or at least 19 million deaths in 2021, followed by cancers (10 million), chronic respiratory diseases (4 million), and diabetes (over 2 million, including kidney disease deaths caused by diabetes). These four groups of diseases account for 80% of all premature NCD deaths.
“Three in four American adults have at least one chronic condition, and over half have two or more chronic conditions. Among younger adults ages 18–34, 60% have at least one condition. Among midlife adults ages 35–64, more than 75% have at least one condition…Chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States.” (cdc.gov/chronic diseases)
The main types of NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma), and diabetes. (WHO: NCDs,2025)
CVDs are diseases of the heart and blood vessels, including coronary heart disease – a disease of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle; cerebrovascular disease – a disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain; and peripheral arterial disease – a disease of the blood vessels supplying the arms and legs; rheumatic heart disease – damage to the heart muscle and heart valves from rheumatic fever, caused by streptococcal bacteria; congenital heart disease – congenital disabilities that affect the normal development and functioning of the heart caused by malformations of the heart structure from birth; and deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism – blood clots in the leg veins, which can dislodge and move to the heart and lungs.
“Heart attacks and strokes are usually acute events and are mainly caused by a blockage that prevents blood from flowing to the heart or brain. The most common reason for this is a build-up of fatty deposits on the inner walls of the blood vessels that supply the heart or brain. Strokes can be caused by bleeding from a blood vessel in the brain or from blood clots.” (WHO: NCDs, 2025).
Risk Factors.
Risk factors for cardiovascular disease include behavioral, metabolic, and environmental exposures.
Behavioral risk factors drive metabolic changes that increase the risk of CVDs:
Prevention ofCardiovascular Diseases(CVDs)(Young Adults ages 18-39)
Prevention refers to measures taken to stop adverse health events from developing or to detect them early, preventing their progression. There are four known levels of prevention: primordial, primary, secondary, and tertiary. WLT focuses more on primordial and primary prevention. Primordial prevention is the set of measures taken to stop risk factors for adverse health events from developing in a healthy individual. It focuses on social, economic, and environmental determinants of health. Primordial prevention addresses the root causes of disease. Primary prevention is the set of measures taken to prevent the onset of disease in a healthy individual. Primary prevention focuses on reducing risk and increasing resistance. It emphasizes health education and smoking cessation among young adults. Secondary prevention focuses on early detection and treatment of preclinical diseases. It aims to halt or slow disease progression. Tertiary prevention reduces complications and disability after disease onset. It focuses on improving the quality of life and preventing further deterioration.
As stated before, “Among younger adults ages 18–34, 60% have at least one condition, and among midlife adults ages 35–64, more than 75% have at least one condition.” WLT provides young adults with opportunities to intentionally adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle that prevents the development of risk factors for adverse health events. It also prevents disease in healthy individuals.
We define a healthy lifestyle as a way of living that individuals intentionally adopt, maintain, and practice daily to prevent and control disease, improve their physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being, and enhance their quality of life.
Adopting, maintaining, and continually making healthy choices for a healthy lifestyle requires behavioral change. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM,2001), “Behavior can be changed, and those changes can influence health. However, “Initiating and maintaining behavior change is complex and difficult” (Pellmar, Brandt, and Baird, 2002). According to DiClemente et al (2019), “Before behaviors can change, the determinant(s) of behavior, the nature of the behavior, and motivation for the behavior must be understood.” There are several behaviors change theories and models that can be applied at multiple levels of influence on human behavior, using a socioecological approach: which states that “human behavior shapes and is shaped by multiple levels of influences.” Such levels of influence include intrapersonal (individual), interpersonal (family, friends, peer groups), organizational, community, and public policy.
WLT provides the fundamental truth, rooted in God’s word, for behavior change that promises benefits in this life and in the life to come. This truth brings profound change to individuals’ hearts and minds, transforming their character, behavior, attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge, enabling them to intentionally adopt, maintain, and continually make healthy daily choices. When individuals adopt a healthy lifestyle, they serve as a model for other family members, including children, and for the broader community. Many diseases, injuries, disabilities, and premature deaths from heart diseases, strokes, cancers, and diabetes can be prevented or reduced with behavior change.
A healthy lifestyle includes the following:
Each component of the healthy lifestyle has already been discussed on this website.
Follow us on our website, blog, and social media platforms, and at conferences, seminars, workshops, and community spiritual well-being events, as we tailor healthy lifestyles to prevent the development of cardiovascular disease risk factors and to prevent the onset of CVDs in healthy individuals.