Turning Around Obesity Epidemic
The number of people who are overweight is outnumbering those with healthy weight in most of the societies. The rate of growth of obese people is increasing at alarming proportions in many countries. The problem is seen in not only adults, but also in children.
The healthy weight for a person is estimated by a parameter called Body Mass Index (BMI). It is the ratio of a person’s weight in kilograms and the square of his/her height in meters. The BMI not exceeding twenty five is considered as healthy. If the BMI is above twenty five, the person is considered overweight. If the BMI exceeds thirty, the person is considered obese.
A simple way of estimating the healthy weight of an adult person is to express the person’s height in centimeters and the number formed by the last two digits of that height is the permissible weight in kilograms. If the weight exceeds that value, the person is considered overweight. If the weight exceeds the value by more than twenty percent, the person is considered obese.
The problem of overweight and obesity is not uncommon even in children. These children face psychological, social as well as medical problems because of their overweight. The children are looked down by their peers resulting in their low self image formation, which may continue to cause problems even in their adulthood. The obesity in children is linked to diseases like diabetes during young age itself, and also other diseases like breathlessness during sleep (apnea). Unless measures are taken to control the weight, the obesity of the children may continue even in their adulthoods, which will cause major diseases affecting their lifelong health.
The problems obese adults face need not be overemphasized. They cannot even sit or stand comfortably, let alone walk. When they stand, they get pain in the knees and when they sit, they suffer from lower back pain. The enjoyments of life associated with physical activities, like walking, playing outdoor games and sports, playing with children or grand children are out of the question for them. The enjoyment in sex life is also minimal for them. Their social life and mental health also get affected.
The main reasons for overweight and obesity are unhealthy eating and over eating and lack of exercise. People are attracted to fast foods because of their attractive wrapping up, fragrance and the feel good feeling of eating them. These junk diets have not only more calories, but also, plenty of fat in them. People consume more of them without bothering how many calories they are putting in.
These junk diets do not contain useful nutrients like fiber, micro nutrients like vitamins, minerals. What these are containing is refined sugars, and harmful salts and bad fats. Eating plenty of these leads to overweight and the many problems associated with the obesity.
Also these junk foods have harmful protein from animal source. It is clearly established by research that protein from plants is the healthiest. According to Campbell M. and Campbell T. (2006), plant protein, though of low quality, is the best protein from health point of view. It is because these synthesize slowly but steadily into new proteins. There is a lot of research supporting these statements. We can also observe that people of meat eating cultures are much fatter than the people of vegetarian or vegan culture. People who eat plant based foods have more tendencies to do physical activity (exercise), where as their animal based food eater counter parts are prone to lethargy. Harvard School of Public Health (2012) report also supports that those who eat red and processed meat gain weight in the long run, compared to their vegetarian counter parts.
HSPH (2012) says that the same diet, by which diseases are prevented, is useful in reducing the weight. This healthy diet includes veggies, cereals and seeds, grains which are wholesome, fruits and nuts. Also the same diet that causes disease is responsible for overweight. This includes animal based products such as meat and dairy products, highly processed and fried foods.
Fad diets which may help one to lose weight in the short term but are harmful in the long run are not solution to the problem of obesity. One such diet is high protein, high fat, low carbohydrate diet, which one doctor rightly pointed out as “make yourself sick” diet.
What is the solution for shedding weight? Campbell, M. and Campbell, T. (2006) emphatically says, It is wholesome diet from plants and regular physical activity. This change in living style is beneficial throughout, unlike the fad diets which act only for short duration.
Here, whole foods exclude foods which are refined carbohydrates such as sweets, pastas, pastries and foods fried with oil. In other words, junk foods are to be avoided even if they are vegetarian. The carbohydrates we eat have to be complex ones. Whole grains, vegetables and fruits have these. I would like to add that one has to mind not over eating even these healthy plant foods. Eating healthy foods in moderate amounts and doing exercise regularly is the solution to the problem of obesity.
HSPH (2012) says, it is the responsibility of the Governments to see that its citizens are in healthy food environments. The unhealthy foods are to be made less available by controlling the marketing gimmicks of the fast food giants.
Governments in many countries are warning people of harm caused by alcohol and smoking. In a similar way, they have to warn public about the ill effects of unhealthy foods. They have a major role to play in turning the obesity epidemic around.
References
Campbell,Colin,T. and Campbell II, M.Thomas (2006). The China Study – The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications
For Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health. Dallas: BenBella Books.
Harvard School of Public Health (2012). Obesity Prevention Source – Obesity Cause – Food and Diet. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention- source/obesity-causes/diet-and-weight/
