It is gradually emerging as a public health problem in Nigeria. Obesity has become 'contagious.' But adequate sleep, increased physical activity and family meals could be the panacea. CHUKWUMA MUANYA writes.IT has been shown to reduce the quality of life (life expectancy). Obesity has been linked to degenerative diseases such as type two diabetes, cancer, heart attack/failure, kidney problem, erectile dysfunction and infertility.Nutritionists have warned that if nothing was done urgently to address the obesity epidemic, the country's health system could be crippled within the next 20 years by the epidemic of non communicable diseases such as type two diabetes, osteoporosis, cancers and heart diseases.Why obesity epidemic' Vice President of the Society of Endocrinology, Nutrition & Diabetes (SEND) in Madrid, Spain, as well as a member of the European Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition Society (ESPEN), Prof. Pilar Riobo Servan, in an interview with The Guardian at the international conference of the Federation of African Nutrition Societies (FANUS) held recently in Abuja said: 'The biological cause of obesity is simple: an imbalance of calories in and calories out. But the social factors contributing to the imbalance are complex: changing food habits, declining physical activity in the home and in schools, increasing sedentary habits and changing physical environment are significant factors. But new factors are now being addressed, such as psychological and sleep abnormalities.'The nutritionist said that exposure to nighttime lighting and the resulting changes in the daily pattern of food intake and activity also may be contributing factors to obesity pandemic.What are the consequences for the future' 'Because of increasing rates of obesity'we may see the first generation that will be less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy than their parents,' Servan said.The nutritionist said that the risk factors of the obesity epidemic included hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, pro-thrombotic factors (relating to blood clot), insulin resistance, high level of total cholesterol, reduced level of good cholesterol that is high density lipo-protein (HDL), increased bad cholesterol that low density lipo-protein (LDL) and prostate and breast cancer.Servan said that obesity was inter-related with metabolic syndrome. 'Metabolic syndrome is a name for a group of risk factors that occur together and increase the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. It occurs in 24 per cent of all adults and in 42 per cent of those over 60 years. Symptoms include- extra weight around the waist that is central or abdominal obesity,' she said.Is there epidemic of obesity in Nigeria' A professor of Nutrition at University of Ibadan and President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Prof. Ignatius Akhekhia Onimawo, told The Guardian: 'Yes we have a problem with obesity in Nigeria. Even mere looking at some kids who attend high-brow schools, not the ones in rural villages, you find that among these kids some of them are already overweight and some obese. Then you look at the teenage girls, you will find that so many of our teenage girls are overweight. Some are getting to grade one obesity, and if you do not stop it at this stage we have the problem we have in South Africa and so many developed countries.'It is already with us, that is what we call the double burden of malnutrition: under-nutrition and over-nutrition side by side in the same society. You have people who are highly undernourished and people who are highly over nourished in the same society.'Is obesity contagious' 'Yes,' said Servan who is also an associate head of Endocrinology and Nutrition Department at the Fundacin Jimnez Daz Hospital, Universidad Autonoma in Madrid, Spain.How' She explained: 'It is a term I have because there was an epidemiological study that showed that after 32 years of follow up that the probability of obesity was higher if your friend is obese. In anyways the genetic factors play a role as well as the environmental factors. If you have obese friends you are going to join them in eating too much, may not be active again and people tend to have friends of the same habit. So it is very important.'If you are my friend and if you become obese, the probability of me becoming obese is 171 per cent. That is much higher if you are my partner, which is only 77 per cent. So the role of friends is very important especially for kids. So obesity is spreading in the society like a network, a contagious disease.'What is the solution' Servan said: 'I recommend for prevention in kids, because it is better than treatment. For prevention in kids- sleep enough, exercise enough and the parents must eat enough of their food with their kids so that the kids will learn that the best food that you can give is a wonderful pineapple and the kids learn to appreciate the vegetables and the fruits. You know the kids imitate what the parents do. Parents are the models for our kids and if they see that we enjoy family meals, that we are preparing the food as a family, they will grow up doing it and not eating around. And they learn to appreciate that is the best way to go. Not eat the vegetables and I am going to give you a cake in reward, but the reward is very good tomatoes, a very good pineapple.'So enjoy the food with your kids, stay active with the kids. So the parents must to play, to enjoy, to bike, to play tennis with the kids. This is how we grow up and this how I have known. This is how to drive the kids and be alone with the kids. Enjoy playing with them, running with them, playing soccer with them and sleep enough.'Servan said that prolonged breast-feeding protects mothers from later-life obesity. '20 years after their last pregnancy, women who had breast-fed for less than six months had higher fat mass percentage, than mothers who had breast-fed for longer than six months,' she said.The nutritionist said that reducing television viewing and computer use might have an important role in preventing childhood obesity.For Onimawo, the solution for the obesity epidemic starts with getting people aware. The NSN president explained: 'Check Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is calculated by looking at your body weight by the square of your height. If the value is higher than 24.9 then you know you are over weight and if it gets to 30 then you know you are obese. Let them know what we call obesity and overweight and then the effect.'If they know the effect it is the first step so that people will begin to come down on their dietary intake and also increase their exercise. Because when the energy balance is maintained then you can maintain your body weight. If the energy intake is more than what you expend in the way of exercise or lifestyle then you deposit fat and your body weight will increase and that what leads to overweight and obesity.
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