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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