As those of us who overindulged this holiday season begin the long haul of getting back into shape, statistics show it may be more important than you think to shake off those excess kilos.
According to local health officials, obesity is becoming a major health concern, with over 17 million people worldwide dying each year from obesity-related illnesses.
As those of us who overindulged this holiday season begin the long haul of getting back into shape, statistics show it may be more important than you think to shake off those excess kilos.
According to local health officials, obesity is becoming a major health concern, with over 17 million people worldwide dying each year from obesity-related illnesses.
Fat which surrounds the organs, known as visceral fat, restricts bloodflow and poses a serious health risk. According to Khanyisa Xotyeni, manager of the outpatient department at Settlers Hospital, many chronic and potentially fatal diseases are linked to obesity.
“Obesity is linked with lots of heart problems, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, heart disease, hypertension, kidney disease, some forms of cancer and diabetes,” she said.
It’s estimated that there are about 1.5 million South Africans with diabetes. In 2000, diabetes caused 3% of deaths in men and 6% of deaths in women 30 years and older. According to Xotyeni, obesity is caused by a number of factors, including unhealthy lifestyle choices, chemical imbalances and genetic factors.
“Other factors such as some contraceptivesand genetics do play a role, but mostly obesity is caused by stress, diet and a lack of excercise,” she said. Although the causes differ slightly where men, women and children are concerned, it looks like the problem boils down to the following: too much of the wrong foods and too little physical activity. Xotyeni said the biggest problem facing people in Grahamstown is that they lack the disposable income that allows people to eat healthily and join gyms.
“Eating fruit and vegetables is very expensive, and people around here can’t afford it. They end up buying staple foods to fill their tummys but these aren’t good for them,” she said. Xotyeni also said that locals seldom do enough exercise, mostly because they can’t afford to join gyms or they are too tired at the end of the day”.
South Africa also has a high rate of childhood obesity, which is cause for concern as studies show that overweight children will probably grow into overweight adults, most with a lot of potentially life-threatening problems in tow.
The tragedy in these facts, according to Mark and Shane Hazell of Golden Products (GNLD), is that obesity-related illnesses and deaths can be avoided. “People need to realise that what they eat has a huge bearing on their health and wellbeing. It is possible to correct illness where it has taken over, and of course it is possible to prevent it altogether,” said Mark.
The Hazells emphasise that a healthy diet and supplements are crucial in maintaining good health, and Mark said they are firm believers in the healing power of vitamins. “Taking the correct vitamins and eating the right foods has changed our lives. You wouldn’t believe that it could make so much of a difference, but it does,” he said.
“Our main message to people is to feed your body what it needs, in the form of food and vitamins, and it will generally take care of itself from there,” said Mark. “We tend to forget that food today has so much rubbish in it, and you need to become aware of what you are really eating. Fruits and veggies are really the best way to go,” he said.
The Hazells say that while obesity can pose serious health risks, it is a complex matter. “Weight-related issues are tricky. They include many factors such as the psychological, emotional and physical, but it is important to try and find a balance between these elements,” said Shane.
Associate professor at the Rhodes Pharmacy department, Sunitha Srinivas, emphasised the importance of regular physical activity,and said that it needn’t be costly. “Any form of physical activity, however mild, will help. Doing gardening over the weekend and walking instead of driving or getting a taxi are options.
It doesn’t have to be the western notion of exercise for it to be beneficial to our health. And growing our own vegetables means we’ll save money too,” she said. “People need to pay attention to the health risks associated to their weight.
Simple changes can make the world of difference in preventing a disease, and in the case of obesity we can do a lot ourselves to prevent it from becoming a problem,” she said.
For more information phone Mark and Shane Hazell on 079 476 8898 and visit: www. who.int, www.medicalnewstoday.com and
