Obesity: A ticking time bomb

Vasudha Zora I NT

Bengaluru: They say the way to a person’s heart is through his stomach, but binge eating and sedentary lifestyle is taking a heavy toll in Karnataka. City doctors say that this is indeed a disturbing trend as younger people were falling prey to lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension.

And this is happening during the most productive years of their life. As per National Family Health Survey (NHFS) data, there has been a sharp increase in people with obesity. In 2019-20, 30.9 per cent men and 38.9 per cent women were obese in the state, as against 22.1 per cent and 23.3 per cent respectively in 2015-2016.

Those living in urban areas are more prone to obesity. The fifth edition of the NFHS data reveals that 39.4 per cent men from urban areas came under the category of overweight and obese, while in rural areas it was 25 per cent. In case of women, it was 37.1 per cent in urban and 25.6 per cent in rural areas respectively.

Dr J Srinivas of Shankar Super Specialty Hospital says that the major reason for obesity is poor lifestyle choices, intake of salty and high calorie fatty foods, and extreme exposure to digital devices like laptops and smartphones which leads to overeating and lethargy, lack of exercise and intake of balanced diet.

After the Covid-19 pandemic, many patients have developed diabetes (type-1 and type-2), osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperlipidemia, and high triglyceride. Aliments like polycystic ovarian disease have rapidly increased in women. Obese pregnant women have a hard time during delivery as in many cases the foetus is larger in size.

Polyhydramnios, which is an aftermath of diabetes, is the abnormal production of amniotic fluid around the baby. Children attain diabetes and vascular diseases at a young age. According to NFHS data, 15.6 per cent boys above the age of 15 in the state have high blood sugar and need medication.

Surprisingly, it was higher among those hailing from rural areas (18 per cent) than in urban areas (14.1 per cent). Among girls in the same age group, the overall percentage was 14 per cent, and here too rural areas (16.2 per cent) had more such cases than urban centres (12.6 per cent).

Hypertension cases needing the use of medication in this age group was 26.9 per cent in the state, with 29 per cent in rural areas and 25.5 per cent in urban areas.

Overweight children

Children’s addiction to mobile phones and laptops is affecting their overall build as their outdoor activities have come down drastically. They also indulge in long hours of binge eating and prefer playing video games over any outdoor sport.

As per the NFHS data, there has been a rise in the number of overweight children under the age of five. In 2015-2016, 2.6 per cent children were overweight in the state, but in 2019-20 it has risen to 3.2 per cent, with rural recording 2.9 per cent and urban 3.8 percent.

Doctors say children should be encouraged to take up a sport as it instils discipline, builds a mechanism to pick better lifestyle choices, also refreshes the mind and body and promotes healthy eating habits. Parents and teachers should remind children that food of all kinds is vital for the development of the body and find creative methods to make them understand.

They should discourage the use of smartphones among children. Nutrition experts point out that what a child eats in their formative years has a lot to do with the type of diseases they might acquire in future. Hence, if they have a continuous cycle of bad habits, then their health deteriorates at a quicker pace.

Healthy eating habits

For maintaining a healthy lifestyle, one must have a balanced diet inclusive of vitamin and mineral rich foods, controlled carbohydrates and fats and intake of proteins. These can be achieved by consuming seasonal fruits and vegetables, pulses, and grains.

Snacking can become a bad habit, and hence it should be replaced with healthier options. Water should be consumed in order to quench thirst and other forms of liquid like buttermilk, fresh juices can be had apart alongside water.

A regular daily routine exercise for 30 minutes or more should be done. Taking stairs instead of elevators on the way to work is a simple exercise hack busy individuals can inculcate. Limiting screen time can help individuals connect with their surroundings better and keep their mental health in better shape.