HEALTH MATTERS
The rising burden of obesity
By Kepha Nyanumba
Obesity is a complex disorder that is increasing at an alarming rate in many parts of the world. I recently had an opportunity for an interview on the Rising Burden of Obesity at NTV. I was accompanied by my patients Nancy Laboso and Edward Nganga who have walked the weight loss journey with me. The interview was hosted by Gladys Gachanja and here-under are the excerpts from the discussion.
Gladys: Starting us off Kepha, even as we say we need to be worried about the rise of obesity in this country, from your experience what do you think is pushing this trajectory?
Kepha: What is pushing the trajectory is the modern lifestyle that I would describe as toxic. Most people lead a sedentary lifestyle and consume highly processed foods that are full of preservatives and empty calories. This is the root-cause of the increasing cases of obesity.
Gladys: How would you define obesity?
Kepha: Obesity means excessive or abnormal accumulation of body fat that poses a health risk. Obesity increases the risk of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol levels, arthritis etc.
Gladys: We live in a continent where when you have a little bit of weight you are considered wealthy. What do you think about this?
Kepha: I think that’ s the notion that needs to change. Traditionally, we had huge people but they ate healthy foods and their weight comprised mainly of the muscles and not body fat. Nowadays most people are overweight as a result of excessive accumulation of body fat and this increases the risk of chronic diseases. We analyze body composition to determine the body fat percentage among other vital parameters such as muscle percentage, body water percentage, bone mass etc.
Gladys: Speaking of weight, what is the difference between obesity and being overweight? I have noticed these two terms are used interchangeably.
Kepha: To differentiate between overweight and obesity, you need to know your Body Mass Index( BMI). An individual whose BMI is between 25-29.9, is classified as overweight while those with a BMI above 30 are classified as obese.
Gladys: I would like to hear from those who have actually walked the weight loss journey. I will start off with Nancy. How was the journey
“ What is pushing the trajectory is the modern lifestyle that I would describe as toxic. Most people lead a sedentary lifestyle and consume highly processed foods that are full of preservatives and empty calories. This is the root-cause of the increasing cases of obesity.” dealing with obesity? When did you find out that you were living with obesity?
Nancy Laboso: I realized I was obese at 25 years old and I urgently needed to do something about my weight. The excessive weight affected me in so many ways. For instance, I was not able to perform daily duties because I felt tired and exhausted most of the time.
Gladys: When you say you felt tired, exhausted and not being able to perform normal duties, what do you exactly mean? Were you out of breath or what was happening?
Nancy: Yes, I was out of breath and would not be able to perform normal duties such as washing dishes and clothes. I used to weigh 58kgs but my weight increased to 90kgs and I would not climb stairs because of fatigue and feeling out of breath.
Gladys: Were you always obese as you were growing up?
Nancy: It happened when I was 25 years old. What contributed to my excessive weight gain was my consumption of processed foods. I was eating unhealthy foods such as french fries, pizzas, deep fried chicken, and burgers but little did I know my weight was gradually increasing! I realized there was something wrong with my weight when I wouldn’ t walk or climb stairs.
Gladys: Let’ s hear from the gentleman. Edward what is your story?
Edward Nganga: My story is very interesting! I used to go to hospital and my doctor would tell me that my blood pressure was borderline. I used
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