All things in moderation

Globally, obesity costs 4.23 billion US dollars or R79,952,879,700,000 year by 2035. In South Africa alone it costs our country approximately 17 billion rand a year. It can easily be said then that obesity doesn’t just affect the person with the diagnosis. Obesity and its associated complications and repercussions i.e. time away from work due to doctors’ appointments, recovery time post injuries or surgeries, decreased quality of life etc.

Obesity, defined as ‘a disorder involving excessive body fat that increases the risk of health problems’ is often associated with several health conditions such as:

·         Hypertension

·         Cardiovascular disease i.e. heart attacks

·         Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2)

·         Certain types of cancer such as colon, breast cancer and leukaemia (cancer of the blood)

·         Respiratory problems such as asthma and sleep apnoea

But in order to prevent obesity and its associated risks, we need to understand what obesity is. Defined by the World Health Organization, obesity is the abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese. 

Obesity is one side of the double burden of malnutrition, and today more people are obese than underweight in every region except sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Once considered only a problem only in high-income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. The vast majority of overweight or obese children live in developing countries, where the rate of increase has been more than 30% higher than that of developed countries.

There are multiple causes for developing obesity, including decreased physical activity, increased caloric intake, genetic predisposition, side effects of certain medications and an obesogenic environment. It would naturally be easier to gain unwanted weight when unhealthy and caloric dense foods are more readily available than their healthier counterparts or when long commutes and working hours hinders traditional exercise opportunities.

Here are 5 alternatives to concentrated calories for you to consider:

1.      Opting for grilled or roasted without fat or oil. When using spreads such as butter or margarine, spread thinly and opt for low fat spreads.

2.      Salad dressing? Go for the low-fat option or use vinegar or lemon juice.

3.      Desserts? Go for the fruit salad with yogurt instead of the slice of cake.

4.      Soft drinks? Choose some water instead- refer to blog bite 1 for more tips on how to increase your water intake.

Let us not forget getting active. Children are advised to get atleast 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a week. And for adults, we need 150 minutes of exercise a week. This may be overwhelming at first. But if we break it down, it is only 20 minutes a day for adults and less than 10 minutes a day for children.

But we are not saying to eliminate your treats completely. That in itself would be an unrealistic and unattainable ask. Instead, we ask you to make the healthier choices more so than not. This will ensure that you will get the best out of life and enjoy it with your loved ones, for longer.

References:

• https://www.worldobesity.org/news/economic-impact-of-overweight-and-obesity-to-surpass-4-trillion-by-2035

• Oxford handbook of nutrition and dietetics, second edition

• https://www.who.int/health-topics/obesity#tab=tab_1