KARACHI March 16 (Online): Dow University of Health Sciences Vice Chancellor Prof. Muhammad Saeed Quraishy has said that obesity is spreading like a plague.
It is only recently. Outbreaks appear to be exacerbated during this period. At present, about 40% of the population in Pakistan is obese. He expressed these views while addressing an awareness seminar organized by the School of Public Health, Dow University of Health Sciences and Primary Care Diabetes Association (PCDA) on the occasion of World Obesity Day.
Awareness seminar was preceded by a walk led by Prof. Nusrat Shah to raise awareness about obesity.
Walk participants held placards and banners with awareness messages on the causes of obesity and its prevention. Apart from this a free medical camp was also organized for the public, families of the faculty and staff of the university which will continue for two days.
Prof. Muhammad Saeed Quraishy while addressing the awareness seminar said that obesity was not a disease of our region. It was common among adults in western countries and was transmitted from them to children. The rate of obesity has increased due to the laziness and excessive use of electronic gadgets.
Prof. Nusrat Shah said that obesity is a growing public health challenge affecting both children and adults. Childhood obesity is a serious concern, lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating habits are major contributors to childhood obesity.
People used to have the disease but now obesity is on the rise among children and youth. He said that some quarters think that obesity is hereditary but the way it is spreading in our country is not hereditary. In our time, children were seen playing and jumping in the streets, now they are seen using mobile phones, laptops and TVs.
Prof. Kashif Shafique, Principal of School of Public Health & Director ORIC said that Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges facing the world today that leads to multiple complications like diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart diseases, and some cancers also.
According to recent data, 800 million people worldwide are obese. In 2016, around 2 billion adults were reported to be overweight. Of these, over 650 million were obese.
Obesity has almost tripled worldwide since 1975. Obesity is also on the rise in Pakistan. Addressing the root causes of obesity would benefit society and will give chance to everyone to lead happier, healthier and longer lives.
Prof. Kashif Shafique, while speaking on Epidemiology of Obesity said that in 2016, around 2 billion adults were reported to be overweight. Of these, over 650 million were obese. Most of the world’s population lives in countries where overweight and obesity kill more people than underweight.
Talking about obesity in children, he informed that 39 million children less than 5 years of age were overweight in 2020 which predisposes them to complications of obesity such as diabetes and hypertension at a younger age.
Sharing the statistic of Pakistan Panel Household Survey conducted in 16 districts of Pakistan, he said that the survey shows that overall, 22.8% of the participants (23.9% of the women and 21.1% of the men) were overweight, and 5.1% (6.3% of the women and 3.2% of the men) were obese.
Physical inactivity, decreased Fruit consumption, Decreased Intake of Vegetable, increased processed meat consumption, and decreased consumption of wholegrain are lifestyle choices that result in obesity.
Dr. Zareen Kiran, Dr. Zareen Kiran, Assistant Professor Endocrinology, National Institute of Diabetes & Endocrinology, DUHS said that Obesity continues to be among the top health concerns across the globe. Obesity is a complex multifactorial disease that accumulated excess body fat leads to negative effects on health. Obesity continues to accelerate resulting in an unprecedented epidemic that shows no significant signs of slowing down any time soon.
Raised body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders, resulting in dramatic decrease of life quality and expectancy. The main cause of obesity is long-term energy imbalance between consumed calories and expended calories.
Nida Jawed (RDN), Director BS Nutrition program, SPH DUHS, emphasized on adapting healthy lifestyle behaviors which includes adequate dietary intake and physical activity as successful interventions in the management of obesity. However these behaviors are influenced by many factors.
Therefore in cooperation of interventions as a holistic approach maybe more successful then considering one factor alone. A multidisciplinary team including a registered dietitian/ nutritionists needs to be present to assist in weight management effectively to reduce the obesity pandemic.
Later, Dr. Fareed Uddin from the National Institute of Diabetes & Endocrinology, DUHS, said that obesity is associated with poorer physical and mental health outcomes. Therefore, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise can also help manage or reverse some of the serious conditions associated with obesity, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
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