Medical Expert Claims Rise In Obesity In Pakistan

The obesity is the major cause of heart diseases and there is the need of controlling fatness by adopting somber precautionary procedures to decline the rising rate 0f obesity in Pakistan

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Feb, 2018 ) :The obesity is the major cause of heart diseases and there is the need of controlling fatness by adopting somber precautionary procedures to decline the rising rate 0f obesity in Pakistan.

Around 65 percent population of the country could become obese by 2020 if the same could not be prevented with effective direction. Such alarming situation has been narrated by the eminent gynecologist of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Dr.

Nazish Salman Khan while talking to APP here on Monday disclosing that Pakistan at present has been ranked at number nine in prevalence of obesity. She said that people become victims of heart diseases due to overweight and it was an alarming fact that there were 155 million overweight and obese children globally.

She said that the like other countries, obesity in Pakistan is also rising at an alarming rate. Most of the global deaths are caused by obesity so rising obesity in Pakistan is a matter of great concern these days.

Referring the World Health Organization (WHO), she said that obesity was among the top 10 leading causes of sudden death and it caused 4.4 million deaths per year worldwide. Obesity once thought to be related to high socio-economic class, now prevails in our low and middle class", she said and added that Pakistanis are very bad in controlling cholesterol levels.

Dr. Nazish Salman Khan further informed that another problem in Pakistan is that the people are taking this issue very lightly. Approximately 52 percent of overweight and 73 percent of obese people have not even identified their problem and they think that it's normal, she added.

Dr. Nazish Salman Khan said our food had transformed during the last 10 years as even children were becoming obese and cardiac patients. She said entire weight of an obese person was borne by the bones and the person becomes unable to move, which further increases his/her weight.

He advised people to use simple food, add fruits and vegetables to their menu. She described that obesity was not a symbol of health rather a disease, therefore, obesity should be taken as a disease and treated like a disease.

Dr. Nazish Khan said that 80 percent of obese children remain obese in their grown-up age therefore; we must be concerned about the fat babies rather than feeling happy about their obesity. She said serious efforts were required to motivate the parents of such children to control the weight of their children in order to save them from heart diseases.

She said parents should help their children in reducing their weight through healthy diet and physical activities to avoid major risk factors of heart diseases. Dr. Nazish Salman Khan said that parents could play key role in influencing the life-long habits of their children, which could protect them against the ailment.

Dr. Nazish Khan said Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease need to start young with parents and other community groups recognizing the opportunity they have to help the kids. With the help of parents, schools and other community groups, children need to establish balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables like whole grains, lean meat, fish and pulses plus low fat and low salt products, she said.

Dr. Nazish salman further said that parents have a great opportunity to set the example not only for the benefits of their own heart health but also of their children. Regular physical activity also helps to slow down narrowing of the arteries to the heart and brain encourages the body to use up stored fat, she said.

Dr.Nazish Khan said extra fat in body caused obesity, saying that one in every five children born was obese. The causes of obesity vary in each individual, she said, adding that every person should indulge in physical exercise and use fruits and vegetables to prevent obesity, added.

She said that the Physical activity is vital for good heart health as lack of physical activity can contribute to obesity and diabetes among children. She emphasized the need of educating and adopting a healthy lifestyle including diet and exercise.

She said that no school had an exercise plan for the physical activity of children and such children were prone to be less active in future and develop obesity and in this aspect parents and the media had a major role to play, added.