Obesity: Obesity increases your chance of developing diverticulitis. Morbid obesity can increase your risk of having to undergo more invasive treatments if you do develop this condition.
Smoking: Smokers are more likely than non-smokers to develop diverticulitis.
Poor Physical Fitness/Lack of Exercise: Being physically fit is said to decrease your risk of diverticulitis, whereas a sedentary lifestyle may put you at greater risk.
Diet: Diets that are high in animal fat and low in fiber or mainly comprise processed foods may be a cause of diverticulitis.
Medications: Several drugs have been linked to an increased risk of diverticulitis, including steroids, opiates and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including ibuprofen and naproxen.
What Can I Do to Treat Diverticulitis?
Roughly 75 percent of people who develop diverticulitis can manage their symptoms with rest, dietary changes and antibiotics, but there are additional steps you can take to avoid having a recurring episode. Among the steps you should take to manage your diverticulitis at home:
Exercise
Exercise has been proven to boost overall health, and regular exercise can help boost digestive tract function. It also can help you manage your weight, meaning that you may be less likely to require invasive treatments if you develop recurring episodes of diverticulitis. In fact, a 2010 study in California found that exercise, particularly running, significantly decreased the risk of developing the condition altogether, with a 36 percent risk reduction for each meter-per-second increment in a 10k performance test in both men and women.