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The looming obesity epidemic

Written by Ronald Matheka
Sunday, 05 August 2007
There are many scourges that have affected mankind on a large scale down the ages- the Black Plague, Spanish Influenza, Malaria and AIDS. The latest one is creeping on us far more quietly; it is obesity. Unlike the others, which were largely environmental and non-discriminatory, obesity and being over-weight in the modern world are mostly self-inflicted and therefore preventable. The most prevalent definitions of obesity and being overweight are as follows obesity- having a BMI(ratio of body mass to height) of over 30 or more overweight- having a BMI of 25-29. In both definitions, it should be stressed that the main culprit is an accumulation of excess body fat.There has even been a suggestion that the same reward centres and sites in our brains that control appetite in illegal drug users, are also activated due to over-eating, with the neuro-transmitter Dopamine being observed in both instances. fat:potent inhibitor and stimulator We as humans evolved to resist starvation but definately not to resist abundance. As hunters and gatherers, our diets consisted of lean healthy food. As societies developed and upon settling down to practise agriculture our new bodies began to be filled with diets high in fat and calories. Fat acts as an inhibitor in that when it gets to the stomach it stimulates stretch, fat and protein receptors that cause the hypothalumus to induce satiety (the feeling of being full). Unfortunately,the same fat also causes us to eat fast in its stimulatory guise. Upon touching the tongue, fat causes mouth receptors to activate the hypothalamus to drive us to eat as fast as possible before the gut signal shuts everything down. One ends up gulping down food leading to a slew of other problems, which wont be discussed here. The developed nations are a society of overbundance, with the developing countries tring to play catch up- especially in its better off segments. There is sobering news that in 5-10 years, half of all kids will be considered overweight, leading to a host of problems in their otherwise already troubled future. Diseases like diabetes, coronary heart diseas: and cancers-colorectal,breast,prostate, are all resulting symptoms of this epidemic. Let it serve as a guiding motto that,its not the quantity but quality and portion,when it comes to food. Finally, exercise and eschewing unhealthy practices will also go a long way in slowing the epidemic. Don't let the bug catch you. Related Articles: Parliament as a Big Brother House Somaliland watches the Kenyan election Excuse me! Journalism is not a profession Spoil the Rod not the Child "Happy to be nappy?" Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Trackback(0) TrackBack URI for this entry Comments (20) Subscribe to this comment's feed Show/Hide comments ... written by Marangu , August 06, 2007 Ron This big take home message is probably in your last sentence: Dont let the bug catch you... Obesity is a universal problem now and there is need for more health education on the matter than is being provided. The amount of resources required to deal with the effects of obesity are something our health system can ill afford. In the West where obesity is rampant, there is no shortage of solutions, it's now a multi-million dollar industry with many dimensions from dietary, sports to medical, all promising to see you 'thin' and 'fit'. The latest craze is surgical 'stomach banding', even with all the known side effects, people are willing to try anything. Obesity has heralded an epidemiological transition of sorts, from mainly infectious diseases as the leading cause of disease and deaths to degenerative diseases like Diabetes, diseases of the heart etc. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 Kenya\'s complications written by pndiangui , August 06, 2007 The complications of this in the Kenyan environment is the current society view of the world. That fat = healthy. This is a prevailing mindset with many , where a belly gets some sort of 'status approval'. And things are even complicated by the staple diet in leisure places 'Nyama Choma' and beer. Recent statistics have pointed at high blood pressure cases being more prevalent in the 25- 45 age group of the males in Kenya. Now this is a serious trend to the most productive group of the society. At the rate of indulging in both the drink and this type of food I have witnessed in Kenya's leisure joints , the government needs to start a wide-ranging campaighn to inform these young men of the dangers of their ways of life. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 ... written by Marangu , August 06, 2007 Agree, targetted education to these joints which are potentially harzadous to health would help, I struggle to think how exactly one would do this. I wonder if promoting this issue in popular media would help. At this stage it's not acknowledged as a health concern but the figures Ndiang'ui quotes shows it's an issue warranting more attention than it's getting. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 Leave My Nyama! written by jaya wardene , August 07, 2007 Thanks for that article and your advice for us to do more exercise is very welcome. You guys cannot be serious lakini. Man invents all these labour saving devices and then complains that he does not get enough exercise....We sold off all the playing fields so that developers could build even higher apartment complexes...and now you complain ati our kids are getting fat.. Our agriculture ministry is at the forefront in developing hybrid plant and animals for our farmers in order that we can produce better yields to feed a growing population....si haya yote ni maendeleo. There are 2 types of people: Healthy sporty fanatics and people who watch them on the big-screen at a favourite wtering hole. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 ... written by vivid , August 07, 2007 Kenya and the rest of the developing world has enough issues with poverty, infectious diseases, etc to deal with. Let's focus on those first and then if we're lucky we'll have an obesity "problem" to deal with. Maybe those fat western kids could be sent out to the developing world to help out in some kind of phat peace corp program. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 ... written by Marangu , August 08, 2007 Jayawardene: Funny, sad but also true what you say, we should have seen it coming. America has drive through ATMs, Australia has drive through bottle stores, this does not help, especially when making the short trip from the car is such a big ask. Vivid: Obesity is part of the many health problems that afflict us, it's causing disease and deaths in real time, and no! it's not a problem confined to the developed world anymore. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 phat farm written by Stephen Wanyama , August 08, 2007 There's an increasingly large number of fat people, seriously fat in the developing world. Given however that we do not enjoy State Health Care, is it right to say that this will have economic consequences for the wider community? report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 make mine large! written by John Ongeri , August 08, 2007 ...I was just reading here ati..." and he said look: my son has returned. Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger. Let us kill the fattened calf and feast and celebrate. My son was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost but now he is found...." from the book of Luke chapter 15. So I guess that there's nothing wrong at all with a bit of fat...kwanza when you roast it. The problem is the lack of exercise and physical work. We have become sedentary beings and it is this which has introduced obesity, typeII diabetes and all the rest of it. Comrades Jayawardene and Marangu are ofcourse absolutely accurate in their assessment that chronic obesity will cause severe problems especially here in Kenya where we are more accustomed to people facing starvation. This is because we do not even have the safety net to deal with these problems. As Comrade Ndiangui says: Fat is still synonymous with prominence aka stature aka wealth. I hope that Mr Wanyama's remarks are not aimed at discrediting phat people per se. I would like to think that we can look at the problem compassionately instead of just blaming 'fatties' for their misfortunes. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 ukitaka kula nguruwe...... written by donworry , August 08, 2007 Thank you author Matheka for a very timely piece. here is a short background: In the last 18-24 months McD worldwide has been getting a lot of flack for their perceived role as junk food purveyors and for the role they play aiding and abetting the increase in obesity. The result is McD have scrapped the Large Portions of all their meals and have also added a lot of "rabbit food" to their menu....as if anyone would go there for a salad.... Anyways I was sitting at a park bench the other day enjoying some fine weather when a slightly over-weight chap came over and sat next to me. He had two bags of of McDs. I watched as he proceeded to demolish two Quarter Pounder with cheeses, two Big portions of their chipos and two Big cups of coke:no ice. He must have seen the look on my face because he said: look mate, it aint my fault. These do-gooder, vegetarian-health freaks and the government have applied so much pressure that now the xtra large meals have been scrapped. I now have to buy 2 of the normal size meals every lunch-time and it's costing me a **ing fortune! Jeez! My point being. You are all being pointlessly alarmist in your views about looming obesity and impending disaster. As my encounter with Fat Joe demonstrated, obesity and health issues cannot be sorted by industry or government: We don't need any social engineering, Thank you. Mr Wanyama, tell it like it is. Fat people got only themselves to blame. How will it affect me? well....We will need bigger coffins for themm sivyo? So our precious forests will be lost forever. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 ... written by Marangu , August 08, 2007 Stephen: I am not sure I quite got your statement. Never known you to restate the obvious. We have no accessible universal healthcare today, but someday we will have it, and the very many obese people among us will have tripled in number, will they still cost us? you bet. don worry: The fast food industry has stayed unchecked for far too long. If it's true what you say about Mcdonald sizing down the meals where you live, it should be louded, unfortunately it's still not enough, and the amount of calories and fat we ingest from fast foods is way above our daily requirements and has served to fuel the obesity epidemic. Public health authorities in particular and governments in general have a responsibility to educate, censor and if necessary legislate on anything perceived to be a health hazard. Many in the past decades never foresaw the possible effects of smoking on health, or the harsh measures governments and communities would adopt to curb public smoking. The sooner we get there with the fast food industry the better. And please.. I am no advocate for a 'nanny' state, sometimes it's necessary to set up laws to protect us from ourselves. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 Obesity = HBP written by pndiangui , August 08, 2007 Wanyama Obesity has High blood pressure implications which ofcourse will take away the most productive Talent in the society. However you look at it the economic implications are far reaching. From people not being to be productive at work , to economic choices related to the purchasing drugs instead of say that income being put into investments , Family bardens to the society after their parents pass on. All the economic implications that have come with Aids, will not apply very much diffrrently to obesity related diseases.When Stroke survivors become bed-ridden the effects in the society can be very huge. DonWorry Life is a balance and when we stop looking at it from the 'the law of the farm perspective' , we become complacent in striking this balance. Obesity is one of those cases. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 ... written by a guest , August 13, 2007 Phat means cool, in its intended use as a clothing line. Dont confuse it with 'fat'. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 Phat peeps unite written by Kizito , August 14, 2007 Thank you Anonymous. You are a true hero. I am just glad that someone has come out in support of us Bigger people. Most thin people are evil hypocrites pretending to care for the rest of us. We don't need your sympathy or you health expertise. Eat what you like and exercise if you feel like. Why can't we all just live and let live? Must you impose your standards on us? What if we are happy with our shapes and sizes. Ever since I was in class one I was slightly bigger than the other kids. I have always been victimised and bullied and I was always the the butt of their cruel jokes. Unfortunately the worse I was treated the more I ate in secret and the bigger I grew. My parents took me to see several specialists and I knew that they were ashamed of me. I want to tell you all right now that I am fed up of being treated like a 2nd class citizen and I know my rights. I do not drink or smoke, even cigarettes. I was an outcast in my own home because of my weight. I think you are all too unkind. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 Thou dost protest too much written by Focus , August 14, 2007 Kizito, size and shape are secondary aesthetic issues that unfortunately society overemphasizes. The majority of models and celebrities today are underweight and thoroughly unhealthy inspite of being the 'perfect size'. On the flipside there are many 'shapeless' but fit and healthy people. The real issue is that of health irrespective of shape or size. You can stick your head in the sand till the cows come home but the truth of it is that there are serious health complications assiciated with weight-both overweight and underweight. I am and have always been overweight and been the butt(literally) of many rude and unkind comments. Ironically these comments have been primarily from people that are bigger than me. I've made a decision to do something about my eating and excercise habits not because I desire to fit an ideal size but because I value my health. I have seen the health of members of my immediate family deteriorate due to being overweight. I am now a lot healthier than I was six months ago and although I still get the disgusted judgemental looks and rude, unkind comments they no longer bother me. I am not only comfortable in my skin I am healthy as far as the medical profession is concerned. The victimisation and bullying you have endured is uncondonable under any circumstances. But like you said, you know your rights, one of which is to enjoy a full and healthy life. People fat or thin are cruel-that won't change. Question is, are you going to eat yourself to death just to make a point? Are these people really worth it? report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 ... written by Marangu , August 14, 2007 Focus: Your response is worth a million bucks, and it makes this debate meaningful because there are many who internalise and suffer in silence. It's just about the attitude, we cannot change what people think or how they treat us, but we can do any number of things to live better, feel better, live longer. And I think that is the spirit of this article or roughly what the author wanted to communicate. It was not about judging people who are overweight or obese, but highlighting this as an issue that should concern all in society. In a sence I am happy that Kizito responded the way he did, because that is so typical of what happens, resentment and isolation makes the problem worse, not better, and this is the psychological dimension we all miss.I emphathise with Kizito, but I don't think that is what he/she was looking for, and I think your response is Total... Thank you! report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 I\'m here to stay written by Kizito , August 14, 2007 It's a long time since I have fully agreed with comments posted here. I must thank Anonymous, Focus and Marangu for putting this issue into context. There seems to be a bit of understanding about what larger people must go through. Obesity is a word that entered general vocabulary fairly recently. Today it seems that everyone is an expert on body mass index and all that cp. Marangu above shows wisdom and compassion noticing that Kizito does not solicit sympathy: I am not a crook or a deviant. Why must I apologise to the Mat passengers who eye me with disdain? Why must I explain myself when the clothes store has nothing in my size? I have recently formed the opinion that non-achievers and people with low self esteem find that we larger people are an easy target for them to vent their frustrations . After all we are a Huge target... report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 look after your heart written by Dr Kazamoyo , August 14, 2007 Obesity is an emotive subject as it goes to the heart of the matter. We are constantly seeing patients who put their lives at risk with their life-style choices. High blood pressure and high cholesterol levels can be controlled easily nowadays and there is no reason why Mzito and co cannot live a full and meaningful life despite their weight and shape.....the rest of you: Quit Smoking and do some exercise. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 ... written by Marangu , August 15, 2007 Dr: Just wish you elaborated that looking thin/slim does not preclude one from high cholesterol, high blood pressure and the like. A common mistake people make is thinking that having a small build is some sort of insurance from these lifestyle diseases, it's clearly not and similarly if you are genetically predisposed to having a big build or being large if you like, no amount dieting or excercise can change that. We need to watch what we eat and be active because it's healthy to do so, not because its fashionable, because that leads to frustration, poor self esteem, even depression. report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 re: written by Watetu , August 15, 2007 A common mistake people make is thinking that having a small build is some sort of insurance from these lifestyle diseases....We need to watch what we eat and be active because it's healthy to do so, not because its fashionable, because that leads to frustration, poor self esteem, even depression. I couldn't agree with you more. Unfortunately as mentioned by Focus, society overemphasizes size and shape over health. You shouldn't be caught dead in anything larger a size four even if you have to starve yourself to get there. Some designers have even gone so far as to create size 00 and -2 outfits. The common idea is that the thinner you are the more attractive you are. This is evidenced by the large number of diets in the market-a large number of which are not actually healthy. Kizito raises some valid concerns. Society looks upon overweight and obese people with disgust and disdain. I'm a size 14 and I get some very rude comments thrown my way. I can only imagine what a person that is actually obese has to go through. The rate at which obesity is rising is rivalled by the increase in eating disorders (and no vivid these are not exclusively white problems) There is a lot of pressure to fit a certain ideal physical image. Different people respond to this pressure differently-some use food as a crutch and therefore overeat, others go to great lengths to starve themselves so that they may be classed as one of the 'Beautiful People' report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 One at a time written by Sana , November 02, 2007 It all started when my mother 58 years and a size 28 (over 100kgs) had a dentist appointment in 2004 to remove a tooth, this was postponed twice due to HBP. After further separate tests the doctor found that she also had joint problem on both knees (thus her difficulty walking), high cholesterol and was constantly out of breath due to her weight (Obese) no internal organs where checked. The surprising thing was that when I worked out a diet for her, my Unties rebelled and said that she would look terrible if she lost weight (however little) and also that she would look like she was not report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0 Show/Hide comment form Write comment Name Email Title Comment smaller \| bigger Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage. Write the displayed characters
Last Updated ( Monday, 06 August 2007 )