Doctors, dietitians and sportsmen join hands to ‘fight obesity’

• “I urge people to adopt an active routine with daily workouts and consumption of balanced diet,” says Younis Khan.

KARACHI: Doctors, dietitians and sportsmen at news conference on have declared obesity as a ‘severe disease’ and mother of most of the illnesses in the world, and called for promoting healthy lifestyle including importance of daily exercise regularly, consumption of healthy food and educating young children about the need for indulging in physical activity and avoiding junk food.

“I urge people to adopt an active routine with daily workouts and consumption of balanced diet. Obesity is a disease as explained by doctors and it is leading cause of various serious diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular ailments. We especially need to educate our children to have an active life and encourage them to regularly take part in some sporting activity”, said Younis Khan, renowned cricketer and former captain of Pakistan cricket team while speaking at a news conference at Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Tuesday.

The news conference was organised by the ‘Fight Obesity’ initiative and it was addressed by the leading bariatric surgeon Dr. Tanvir Raazi Ahmed, eminent psychiatrist and President of Pakistan Psychiatry Society Prof. Iqbal Afridi, and President of Pakistan Nutrition and Dietetic Society (PNDS) Fayza Khan as well as the Vice President PNDS Rabia Anwar.

On the occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between Fight Obesity initiative and the PNDS to regularly hold awareness activities regarding healthy lifestyle, promoting physical activities and consumption of balanced food.

Former Test cricketer Younis Khan maintained that people need to take care of themselves so that they could take care of their ailing parents and young children, adding that adoption of a healthy lifestyle by taking healthy meals on time, taking out time for regular workouts and rising and going to bed early could ensure good healthy and prevention from several diseases.

To a query, he said most of the players of the Pakistan Cricket Team were fit and healthy and try to remain agile but added that players should not be asked to prove their fitness after every three months as it put them in mental stress and deteriorate their performance.

Eminent bariatric surgeon Dr. Tanvir Raazi Ahmed, announced the launching of ‘Fight Obesity’ initiative from Tuesday and told the news conference that they have decided to launch the campaign against obesity after it emerged that Pakistani nation was facing an epidemic of obesity. Nearly 14 million children have become obese in Pakistan while the total number of people with obesity has crossed 45 million in Pakistan, which is an alarming sign.

“Unfortunately, obesity is the mother of most of the non-communicable diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, various types of cancers including breast and ovarian cancer among women. It is estimated that around 4 million die annually due to obesity and diseases related to it alone in Pakistan”, Dr. Raazi claimed and added that fortunately; obesity is not only a preventable but also a treatable disease.

“Preventing obesity is possible through adopting and maintaining healthy lifestyle, eating balanced food while treatment of chronic obesity is possible through medicines and bariatric surgery combined with healthy lifestyle. Following extensive weight reduction, it has been observed that people can get rid of many ailments including diabetes, hypertension and live a normal life”, Dr. Raazi maintained.

Eminent psychiatrist President of Pakistan Psychiatric Society Prof. Iqbal Afridi said obesity not only leads to mental issues but even the mental issues often lead to obesity, which result in other physical health issues and called for donating food regularly to those who are hungry so that entire society could remain healthy and active.

“Obesity is one of the causes of depression and anxiety in both men and women. We need to educate people that consuming food in limited quantity is a healthy practice and it would not only improve their physical health but would keep them mentally fit also”, Prof. Afridi said and added that over-eating is also associated with memory loss and several other mental ailments, which can be avoided by adopting healthy lifestyle.

Prof. Afridi maintained that rising and going to bed early, eating simple and balanced food, regular exercise, sparing time for worship or meditation and adopting a positive approach were the key habits to prevent from mental issues, which also have scores of physical health benefits also.

President PNDS Fayza Khan and Rabia Anwar said 50 percent of Pakistani population is suffering from different non communicable diseases like diabetes and heart diseases and most of these diseases are preventable and related to overconsumption and bad choice of food, saying obesity is now a severe problem caused by consumption of unhealthy food and lack of physical activity.

“Unfortunately, focus of our authorities is on establishment of health facilities instead of prevention from diseases. We don’t have enough resources to treat everybody so there is a need to promote healthy lifestyle and balanced diet”, PNDS President Fayza Khan said and informed that month of March would be observed as ‘Nutrition Month’ during which awareness activities would be held to promote healthy lifestyle throughout the country.

PNDS Vice President Rabia Anwar called for educating school-going kids about demerits of obesity and consumption of junk food, saying school canteens need major reformation by banning sugary drinks and oily food and promoting fruits and home-cooked healthy food among children.