Prevent and control obesity to protect your heart health

Around 27 million Filipino adults are overweight or obese, according to the latest National Nutrition Survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

Obesity is abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A body mass index (BMI) over 30 is considered obese. BMI is a person’s weight in kilograms (or pounds) divided by the square of height in meters (or feet).

Complications

Obesity contributes directly to incident cardiovascular risk factors, including dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and sleep disorders. It is linked to higher “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride levels and to lower “good” cholesterol levels. Obesity can lead to high blood pressure and diabetes as well as heart disease.

Carrying excess weight can lead to musculoskeletal disorders including osteoarthritis. Obesity is also associated with cancer of the endometrium, breast, ovary, prostate, liver, gallbladder, kidney and colon.

Causes of obesity

• Eating large amounts of processed or fast food that are high in fat and sugar
• Drinking too much alcohol which is packed with calories
• Eating out a lot
• Eating larger portions than you need
• Drinking too many sugary drinks such as soft drinks and fruit juice
• Comfort eating – eating or overeating to relieve stress, anxiety, boredom, among other issues, rather than to satisfy hunger.
• Lack of physical activity – If you are not active enough, you do not use the energy provided by the food you eat, and the extra energy you consume is stored by the body as fat.

Obesity prevention and control

Swap unhealthy and high-energy food choices – such as fast food, processed food and sugary drinks (including alcohol) – for healthier food choices.

A healthy diet should consist of:

• plenty of fruit and vegetables
• meals based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy foods (ideally high-fiber and wholegrain varieties)
• some milk and dairy foods or dairy alternatives
• some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein

Engage in a minimum of 150 minutes moderate-intensity activity a week. Moderate-intensity activity is any activity that increases your heart and breathing rate, such as:

• brisk walking
• cycling
• recreational swimming
• dancing

Make sure to go for regular medical check-ups and take your maintenance medications as prescribed by your doctor. Take care of your heart daily – shop now at Watsons for heart health essentials.

References:

https://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph/index.php/nutrition-statistic/19-nutrition-statistic/118-8th-national-nutrition-survey. Accessed 27 November 2023
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000973. Accessed 27 November 2023
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/risk_factors.htm. Accessed 27 November 2023
https://www.who.int/health-topics/obesity#tab=tab_2. Accessed 27 November 2023
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/causes/#:~:text=If%20you%20are%20not%20active,by%20the%20body%20as%20fat. Accessed 27 November 2023