Health professionals in Pakistan have described as a ‘wake-up call’ a recent study that says more than 50 per cent of the population is obese or facing obesity. This may lead to multiple diseases and health complications, they warn.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) report, 58.1 per cent people of Pakistan are overweight while 43.9 per cent of population is suffering from obesity. Not only adults and the elderly people, but children are also displaying these trends of obesity, with no urban-rural divide.
The latest figures came months after an international health body warned that Pakistan was now among the top 10 countries in the world facing absolute increases in diabetes prevalence.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) released these figures in November last year, highlighting the alarming growth in the prevalence of diabetes around the world. It reported that 38 million more adults were now estimated to be living with diabetes globally compared to results published in 2017.
Top physicians keep reminding us it was not diabetes alone, but obesity carries risks of several diseases, calling it mother of many ailments. From hypertension to diabetes and from cardiac issues to arthritis, there are several diseases which are mainly due to obesity, they point out, urging better lifestyles and diet.
It’s a disease we usually invite through our lifestyle and casual approach. Better lifestyle and a healthy diet can help one prevent obesity and diseases linked to it.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2020.
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