Tales from Tawa: A Timely Warning
… Most alarming was the number grossly overweight children on board who were regularly supplied with fattening food by their parents. In my mind over feeding a child is a form of child abuse as every bit as neglectful as under feeding one…
Eve-Marie Wilson gives a timely warning on the dangers of eating too much fattening food.
I’ve just returned from a 20 day cruise around a few of the Pacific Islands. There were roughly 2000 passengers on board; around 40 New Zealanders, a few from the United Kingdom and Europe, and the remainder from Australia. I have never before seen so many obese people congregated in one place. What is more, they didn’t seem to be in the least concerned. Copious tonnes of fried food, hamburgers, pizzas, ice cream and creamy desserts were regularly washed down with gallons of alcohol and sugary fizzy drink.
Most alarming was the number grossly overweight children on board who were regularly supplied with fattening food by their parents. In my mind over feeding a child is a form of child abuse as every bit as neglectful as under feeding one. Perhaps their attitude is due to ignorance and they don’t realize the health hazards of being overweight.
Being overweight is medically defined as being 25 – 29.9 percent over ones ideal body weight, and obesity, as anything above that. The statistics for being overweight or obese are alarming. According to the World Health Organisation, obesity rates worldwide have increased threefold since 1980. There are now 1 billion people who are overweight and 3 million who are obese. If broken down into countries the figure for obesity are; 30.6% of the population for North America, 23.0% for United kingdom 21.7% for Australia and 20.9 for New Zealand.
Being overweight puts an individual at risk of developing a myriad of illnesses. Being overweight and the less active increases ones chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is disease in which an organ in the body known as the pancreas is no longer able to produce enough of the hormone insulin to meet the body’s needs. Insulin is an essential hormone in that it is required to move glucose (blood sugar) into the muscles and cells of the body. In the absence of insulin the glucose remains in the blood stream doing damage to the rest of the body. This damage is can be in the form of blocked arteries resulting in a heart attack or stroke, or the need for the amputation of a lower limb. Lower limb amputations are 20 times more common in diabetics than in non diabetics. Diabetes can also cause nerve damage resulting in the loss of muscle power, delayed healing, reduced bowel and bladder control, an increased risk of skin infection and ulceration, impotence and infertility. It is also a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure and premature death. Diabetes is not curable, but some of its ill effects can be modified by eating healthy food and snacks and engaging in regular physical activity.
The incidence of other diseases also rises significantly with increased weight. For instance, obesity is a risk factor for cancer; especially that of the kidney, colon pancreas, oesophagus and the endometrium (lining of the uterus) and the breast in post menopausal women. Furthermore, those who are overweight, not obese, just over weight, are at greater risk of dying from when diagnosed with cancer.
Being overweight or obese can lead to the build-up of fatty deposits in ones arteries resulting in the formation of a blood clot. If the clot is close to the brain it can block the flow of blood or oxygen and cause the individual to suffer a stroke
It has long been known that those who are overweight have a much greater chance of having abnormally high levels of blood fats (cholesterol), putting them at the risk of heart disease. It is now known, even if a person’s cholesterol is under control and their blood pressure is normal, if they are overweight, their risk of developing heart disease does not diminish.
Being obese or overweight puts more pressure on the joints of the hip, knee and lower back causing the cartilage and bone of the joint to wear away. This irreversible condition, called osteoarthritis, results in stiffness, loss of mobility and chronic pain.
Weight gain has also been linked to high blood pressure, liver problems, gallstones, and sleep apnoea, a potentially life-threatening condition which causes a person to stop breathing for short periods during sleep.
The health risks of being overweight apply as much to children and teenagers as to adults. A large number of children who have asthma are overweight, and type 2 diabetes, once an adult disease, has become increasingly prevalent in children and adolescents. Most alarming is the result of new research that has shown overweight children as young as 3 years can begin to show signs of cardiovascular disease. Children who are overweight before puberty are likely to become obese adults. If your child is overweight or obese, do something about it now otherwise you are condemning them to a lifetime of ill health and an early death.
If you have a family member or a friend who is overweight and you care about them make them aware of the perils of their condition and help them to lose weight and get more exercise. If you don’t care about them do it for yourself as the current obesity epidemic is a time bomb waiting to explode and when it does the cost on the tax payer will be exorbitant. In fact it is likely our health facilities will not have the resources to cope.
The obesity epidemic is real and action needs to be taken now!
