Obesity - A World of Problems

If you think of people being fat you tend to think of the Americans as the most obese people in the world, closely followed by the population of the UK. The number of morbidly obese people in England, Wales and Scotland is increasing at an alarming rate and this could have very negative effects on the workings of the NHS and the entire medical establishment in England. But travel abroad in Europe and look around you, you'll notice nearly every other country has its share of overweight, if not yet obese, people. People who in the future could be candidates for diseases connected with carrying too much weight; diseases such as diabetes and heart conditions.

Why is the world getting so sick? Because a sickness it is. There are a number of contributory factors.

* Good food is getting more expensive - beyond the reach of a large proportion of the poorer sections of out populations

* Consequently we eat cheap, over produced food - full of sugars and additives which have no nutritional value

* The world's resources are overused and the nutritional values of many foods produced now is a fraction of what it once was

* A large proportion of our population suffers mild depression if not severe depression which can lead to overeating

* Poor education in nutrition, food preparation and sensible eating habits

* Fast food = fast intake, so no satisfaction

* A lifetime of bad eating has overloaded the body's elimination systems so food is retained as fat instead of being eliminated

* Sedentary lifestyles combined with use of our cars for even the shortest of journeys

* We drink fizzy drinks sweetened with artificial sweeteners that have been known to cause cancer in laboratory rats which has no hydrating effect on the body

Some of these factors we, as individuals, can do something about. Only eat when you're hungry and eat slowly. Don't feel you have to eat as much as your companions. Eat for you - no one else. Don't be guilt tripped into clearing your plate because "I've spent all day cooking that for you". Eat only what you need to feel full - if you eat slowly and chew thoroughly, you have time to savour the taste of your food and to recognise the signals your stomach will send out when it's full. At that point STOP eating, move your knife and fork aside and leave the remainder on your plate.

As an individual you cannot effect any impact on the nutritional value of world food production but you can make sensible choices for you and your family. Here's to your ongoing health.

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