Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Nearly 60 percent of women in Pakistan are obese, including married and adolescent girls, with 80 percent of women overweight by Asian standards of obesity.
The main reason for obesity among Pakistani women is lack of regular exercise and the consumption of unhealthy food. These views were expressed by gynecologists and other health experts. Health experts have urged Pakistani women to change their lifestyles and lose weight to avoid various deadly diseases.
Because women are less active than men, they are more likely to be obese than men and are more prone to life-threatening diseases as a result. Professor Shabnam Nadeem of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital said that obesity in women increases the risk of many serious and fatal diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, breast cancer, pregnancy problems, and many other fatal diseases. He said obesity adversely affects human health and shortens life expectancy.
“Obesity epidemic”
He said that Pakistan is gripped by obesity epidemic where about 88 percent of people are obese due to physical inactivity and consumption of unhealthy food. He urged all physicians treating women to advise women to eat a healthy diet and exercise daily and try to stay physically fit. Citing a recent study, he said that around 2,500 people in 11 cities of Pakistan were examined and 88 percent of them, both men and women, were found to be obese.
The study, published in the Rawal Medical Journal (RMJ), found that 88 percent of men and women were obese, while about 7 percent were overweight, leaving only 5 percent with a normal body mass index (BMI).
Dr. Shaista Ahmed and Dr. Raheela Imtiaz also urged Pakistani women to improve the quality of their and their family’s diets, limit carbohydrates and fats in their diet, and stay fit. Eat and walk more. She urged women not to consume fast food, which is actually junk food, avoid sugary drinks and instead consume healthy home-made foods and drinks that are low in sugar and fat.
Dr. Iqbal Memon said that Pakistan is facing a growing obesity crisis which is affecting the health and well-being of Pakistanis. Citing the National Nutrition Survey 2018, he said that obesity and overweight among women of reproductive age have increased from 28 percent to 38 percent overall from 2011 to 2018. The number of overweight children in Pakistan doubled between 2011 and 2018. The STEP survey also revealed that 41.3 percent of adults in Pakistan are obese or overweight.
He further said that sugar is playing a major role in the obesity epidemic in Pakistan as a result of the increasing consumption of sugary drinks. Renowned cardiologist Professor Feroze Memon said that consuming too much sugar from sugary drinks leads to weight gain and obesity, besides increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, liver, and kidney diseases.
According to the World Health Organization, limit sugar intake to less than 10 percent of total calories and less than 5 percent for added health benefits. Raising awareness of the high sugar content of sugar-sweetened beverages and promoting a healthy debate is critical to reducing the risk of obesity and associated chronic diseases.
