TRUTH ON OBESITY

Believe it or not, obesity is one of the biggest perpetrators of most lifestyle diseases today.  

Global obesity has doubled since 1980, In 2014 more than 1.9 million adults (39 percent) 18 years above were overweight and of these over 600 million (13 percent) were obese.,  Evidence shows that developing countries, overtime economic progress has passed on obesity to the less privileged.  There are enough indication from which we can expect the poor to experience obesity and the associated health conditions in the long run. 

This obesity shift is disconcerting since the majority of the poor continue to grapple with the problem of high levels  under nutrition. Therefore the risk  of the poor getting exposed to a double whammy under nutrition and obesity.  Although the gaps remain large, analysis indicates a weakening of social-Economic pattern of obesity over a relatively short period using caste and the corresponding economic hierarchy.  women state of obesity between age 16 - 60 years rose sharply in a short period from 14.4 percent in 2005 to 23.59 percent in 2012. It can be seen that the obesity rate more than doubled over a period of 7 years.

One of 4 women among the wealthiest was recorded to be overweight in 2005, which rose to 4 out of 10 in 2012.  In sharp contrast 1 out of 10  among the least wealthy class was obese in 2005 which doubled to 2012.
All this has been triggered with social economic trend of dietary diversification among the middle and the affluent classes.  People are eating out of food with high sugar, saturated fat and salt.  There is an evident trend if eating restaurant's and processed rather than eating home food.

We have embraced westernized food which has contributed to sedentary lifestyle and urbanization.

Non-communicable diseases surged rapidly among women during 2005- 2015. The majority of those suffering from high blood pressure and heart diseases were in rural areas in 2012 while those suffering from Diabetes were in urban areas 2015.

Obesity is associated with the rise in the prevalence of each of these diseases, among those suffering from high blood pressure, the proposition of obese rose from about 14 percent  to 46 percent, those suffering from heart disease saw the rise from 32 to 49 percent and the Diabetes from about 46 to 50 percent.

In the end it is worth contemplating if all of us can take an initiative of leading a healthy lifestyle.