HEALTH MATTERS work together , they develop a deeper understanding of the food and lifestyle choices that work best for them and implement lasting changes that improve their energy , balance and health .
Gladys : Let ’ s talk about the relationship between obesity and sugar . Edward has said he was a tea guy with a lot of sugar . I have heard people saying sugar is actually the worst thing when it comes to obesity .
Kepha : We have three enemies that affect our healthy status . They include sugar , salt and saturated fats . Sugar is actually the worst enemy because it provokes food cravings . When you have a tendency of eating sugary foods , your cravings become worse and you are likely to gain weight faster than other people . It is also important to understand the different types of sugar . We have icing sugar , high fructose corn syrup and processed sugar . Most people know processed sugar because that is what we add in our tea on daily basis . Processed sugar lacks a very important nutrient called chromium . Chromium controls insulin production .
Gladys : Oh really ! Still on sugar and tea , I mean we are in the African set up , ‘ chai ’ is part of our culture . Are you saying that we stop taking sugar or we reduce on the tea spoons of sugar ?
Kepha : When taken in moderation , sugar is not bad . We are actually seeing increased cases of obesity and lifestyle diseases because of excessive consumption of sugar . We should therefore blame ourselves and not the sugar .
Gladys : Some people get a bit lost in terms of the Body Mass Index ( BMI ). We talked about the waist being the easiest way to know whether you are overweight or obese . How do you calculate this BMI ?
Kepha : Body Mass Index is a simple calculation using weight ( Kg ) and height ( m ²) and is expressed in Kg / m ². BMI however is not an accurate predictor of health because it does not account for body fat percentage or body fat distribution .
Gladys : Does the height matter because some people are tall and overweight but they don ’ t look it ? I
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guess because of the distribution of the weight ?
Kepha : Yes , height matters and that is why we should not compare ourselves in terms of our food portions . Am saying these because you will be surprised to know that tall people are allowed to eat a bit more than short people .
Gladys : Oh ! Really ! Interesting . A recent report by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Kenya said the prevalence of weight and obesity among women is higher than that of men . Now let me bring in the lady amongst us . Nancy , apart from all these things you told us , the fatigue , constipation , acid reflux , gastritis and all that , you were also struggling with infertility , right ?
Nancy : Yeah , I was trying to get a baby but it was not easy because of the excessive weight gain . In fact , I didn ’ t know it was because of the weight until I went to see the nutritionist . I always visited gynecologists but they would tell me “ you just wait ”. Kepha prescribed a nutrition program and after one year I got pregnant and gave birth to a bouncing baby boy .
Gladys : Ooh wow ! Interesting perspective let ’ s hear from Edward , you also mentioned that when you were dealing with excess weight you were also having hard times with your reproductive health as well . Right ?
Edward : Yes , that ’ s something I like talking about and it ’ s a reality that we need to face because our lifestyle affects libido . It also affects your relationship with your wife and other people especially in your work place . I remember my wife had miscarriages but after implementing Kepha ’ s meal plan and exercise , we eventually ended up getting my lastborn after two miscarriages .
Gladys : Oh wow ! Thank you for sharing that story . Kepha clearly reproductive health is one of the things that is severely affected by obesity or even being overweight .
Share your thoughts on this !
Kepha : Obesity affects reproductive health because it causes hormonal imbalance . Hormonal imbalance during pregnancy can cause problems including gestational diabetes , preeclampsia , high or low birth weight , or even miscarriage . Studies have shown that weight loss helps address hormonal imbalance and promote reproductive health .
Gladys : Nancy , you have walked this journey and you are still in the process . What would you like to say to encourage others ?
Nancy : It is always important to have the right mindset and remember that weight loss requires hard work , patience and consistency .
Gladys : What about you Edward ?
Edward : It is not enough to start the nutrition program , what counts is consistency . Since I met Kepha 10 years ago , I can say am much better ! I can encourage others to do the same because when you change your lifestyle and you are persistent , it changes your perception and attitude towards life . It ’ s always a good thing to do .
Gladys : Kepha , you see so many people walk in and out of your office . What is your clarion call ?
Kepha : Despite the increasing cases of obesity and lifestyle diseases , we should always remember that what happens around us affects us by 10 %, 90 % is determined by how we react . This is encouraging because it means that we are not victims of our circumstances but masters of our destiny ! ■
Kepha Nyanumba is a seasoned Marketing Africa Columnist working as a Consultant Nutritionist at Crystal Health Consultants Limited . You can engage him via mail : knyanumba @ chc . co . ke or follow him on twitter : @ knyanumba
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