A few decades ago, I was made to believe that putting on extra weight was a sign of good living. People that were overweight or obese were admired, and some even spent money on medications that would simply make them gain weight. In certain parts of Ghana women are expected to put on weight after delivery. A husband whose wife does not gain some weight after delivery may be blamed for not taking good care of his wife! In other parts of Africa good living is synonymous with overweight. But is obesity really a sign of good living?

Obesity/Overweight Defined

Any individual is said to be overweight or obese if he has more body fat than his height and weight would allow. Using the Body Mass Index (BMI) as the criterion, overweight is BMI of 25 – 29.9 and obesity is BMI greater than 30. BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.

The negative effects of obesity in most cases have been overlooked. People who are obese are prone to all kinds of diseases. Obesity/overweight is the mother of all chronic diseases.

Some Statistics

In the USA, obesity is an endemic problem of epidemic proportions. As the Center for Disease Control puts it, at least a quarter of Americans are obese and at least 300,000 deaths occur annually from obesity-related diseases. In 1999, 61% of US adults were found to be overweight or obese and, in the year 2000, 38.8 million Americans met the criterion for obesity. Among children, the problem is even worse. One in five children is definitely obese, and many of them suffer from an early onset of obesity-related problems.

Why is Overweight or Obesity Dangerous?

Obesity poses a very serious public health threat, because it is now a global problem affecting people from all walks of life. Below is a partial list of some of the many problems that obesity can cause:

High blood pressure, Hypertension; high blood cholesterol, dyslipidemia;

Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes; insulin resistance, glucose intolerance hyperinsulinemia; coronary heart disease; angina pectoris (chest pain); congestive heart failure; stroke; gallstones; cholescystitis and cholelithiasis; gout osteoarthritis; obstructive sleep apnea and respiratory problems; some types of cancer (e.g. endometrial, breast, prostate and colon); complications of pregnancy; poor female reproductive health (e.g. menstrual irregularities, infertility, irregular ovulation); bladder control problems (e.g. stress incontinence); uric acid nephrolithiasis (kidney stones); psychological disorders (e.g. depression, eating disorders, distorted body image, and low self esteem).

Obesity should be taken very seriously, because the three major killer diseases (Heart attack, Cancer and Stroke) are obesity-related. Among the factors that may cause overweight or obesity, poor nutrition and poor lifestyle constitute the main risk factors. For instance, eating too much of the wrong foods with no exercise creates excess fat which makes us overweight or obese. Obesity kills and can also lead to poor quality of life as we grow old. If you are developing multiple skin folds, a pot-belly, or you just feel full and fat, watch out! These are some of the signs of obesity.

Some of us are quick to justify why we are overweight or obese. Some of the flimsy excuses are: “Oh but I do not eat much; I do exercise; I have a slow metabolism; we all gain weight as we age; a woman’s body changes after childbirth.” Whatever your excuse, you are simply gaining weight because what you are taking into your body is too much for your system to handle. Remember the old saying, “You are what you eat!”
***To be continued*** By Emmanuel Kwame Asenso
MSN CFNP BC
President/Health Minister
Health Talk Inc

If you want to enjoy good health, you need to make a lifestyle change from today. Eat simple foods with lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. I also encourage you to adopt the ABLE Diet and Lifestyle Program. You may visit our website at www.healthtalkinc.org for more details.

For a stronger body build and a healthy colon, I strongly encourage you to order AIM Barleylife and Herbal Fiberblend (colon cleanser). Order as a direct customer under ID#550584 by calling 800 456 2462.