Obesity

SUPERSIZE french fries;

SUPERSIZE me

The health expert

Sophia Chew

“Obesity has become a global epidemic,” this phrase was quoted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health.

The alarming facts are that there are at least 300 milllion out of the 1 billion adults in the world who are currently overweight. It is exceptionally prevalent in western populations, where they make up 50% of the total number of overweight people worldwide. Currently, in the UK, about two-thirds of the adults are either overweight or obese with 22% of men and 23% of women are at least two to three stone overweight. This means their weight is putting their health at considerable risk. Not only are the adults affected, obesity is a high amongst children as well. For the past 20 years, the level of obesity has tripled in number and unfortunately, the figures are still increasing rapidly.

Obesity is a great concern in the world as it can result in many adverse health problems - such as diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, high blood pressure, breathlessness, depression, gallstones, shortening our lifespan and the list goes on. This global epidemic is spreading to areas of developing countries. I believe the cause to this is because there is an easier access to over-processed food, especially with the wide franchise of fast food restaurants; and with modern transportation, comes less need to be active in our daily lives. Obesity is largely linked to the widespread of fast food chains all over the world. In the United States where it has one of the highest rates of obesity, their fast food industry is agressively entering into the market to introduce their products. For example, Taco Bell is being served in more than 4,500 school cafeterias. When other fast food chains notices this profitable action, they too salivate at this prospect. Hence, as much as we want to, it is rather difficult to stop the franchise of Macdonalds, Burger King, and KFC and so on, globally.

The content of the McDonald’s diet has long been a problematic issue with nutritionist. So what gives rise to such weight problems? Firstly, as people eat more meals outside the home, they consume more calories, less fiber and more fat. Furthermore, the introduction of unhealthy eating habits is due to the trade of foreign foods into and out outside nations. The World Health Organization foresights that “within the next few years, noncommunicable disease will become the principle cause of morbidity and mortality, a shift towards highly refined foods and towards meat and dairy products containing high levels of saturated fats which in turn, contribute to rises in incidences of obesity and noncommunicable disease.”

However, it is wrong to say that the fast food industry is entirely to blame. Consumers are big time culprits, too. Therefore, since we know that nutritional health is inversely proportional to the weight of the saturated fat you lift from the plate into your mouth, I urged the world to pick up healthier eating habits by reducing their amount of fat intake and lead a healthier and more active lifestyle.