Obesity appearing as a chronic disease

RISING trend of overweight and obesity among urban people, especially women, is emerging as a serious health concern in Bangladesh, show study reports. Around 17 percent of adults are overweight and 4 percent of them obese in the country, as obesity rose to 4 percent in 2013 from 2 percent in 1980, says a study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in the US.
Fifty-two percent mothers are overweight and 15 percent of them obese, shows a 2013 icddr,b survey conducted on children between five and 18 years and their mothers in all seven divisional headquarters. Of the children, 14 percent were overweight and four percent obese, found the survey by the Centre for Control of Chronic Diseases at the icddr,b. However, prevalence of overweight among the children was 27 percent in the richest quintile but it was only 3 percent in the poorest quintile.
Overweight is defined as having body mass index (BMI) or weight-to-height ratio greater than or equal to 25 and lower than 30, while obesity is defined as having BMI equal or higher than 30. Obese and overweight people have higher risks of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, liver and gallbladder diseases, and respiratory problems. In 2010 alone, obesity and overweight were estimated to have caused 3.4 million deaths globally, mostly from cardiovascular causes, according to the IHME study published in the UK-based medical journal The Lancet.
It has been said that the lack of urban planning and the failure to provide lanes for bicycling and the turning of parks into residential and other plots due to inefficient planning are the reasons for the rise in obesity. However, when there is a will, there is a way. Many bicyclists exist in Bangladesh and there are many organizations which cater to bicycling enthusiasts — the absence of designated lanes does not deter our enthusiastic cyclers from taking to the roads.
Similarly while there may be a lack of public parks gyms and exercise equipment exist to help people keep in shape. But one must remember that it is not just regular exercise which is needed but also the presence of a healthy diet which in conjunction help people from becoming obese — the best exercise in the world is useless if ones eating habits consist of having junk food.
Ultimately the root cause of any mental or physical illness resides in the spirit — if people are more prone to depression or mental stress then they tend to eat more. So it is not just about following diets or exercising — spiritual health is also of significance to keep the mind and body healthy. Prayer and meditation are also essential requirements for keeping any individual healthy —human beings are not just made up of chemicals.