Overwight and obese adults increasing?

Philippines
April 26, 2012 9:54am CST
I have observed that everyday and everywhere i go i encounter obese persons. First let me tell you obesity is. It is a chronic overweight condition, while overweight is having a weigh more than the ideal weight. We could determine if we are overweight or obese also by computing for our BMI or Body Mass Index. Anyway, my purpose of starting this discussion is to make everyone aware that being overweight is not good. It is the beginning of obesity once it is not addressed. It put the person to risks of serious diseases of the heart, the veins, or the circulatory system. Nowadays more of them die at a very young age due to heart attack which are not diagnosed because these people do not consult doctors. Last year, in the Philippines, there were some obese, young adults who died, some in the malls and some at work or after dinner at home. According to WHO there will 2.3 billion overweight population in the world by 2015 and 700 million of them are obese. Some obese also are already obese from childhood. Maybe because of the fastfoods where children love to eat. These people need attention from the government. They should be taught on proper nutrition and exercise. I am also overweight for few kilos but i am doing something about it. How about you, any comments?
3 people like this
8 responses
@Kojigirl (188)
3 May 12
Attention from the government? Nothing tells someone to go ahead and do what they like more than having the government try to shove something down your throat, literally. What they need to do is stop spending all of their time on garbage food and take some responsibility for their actions. What I wonder is, how do they afford all the rubbish that they're eating? Food is not cheap, I'm in Britain and I see the people getting larger by the month and I wonder how on earth they can afford to eat takeaway food four or five times a week? How do they afford the massive quantities of food that it must cost to get up to those sizes? I don't know where they're brains went, that they think it's okay to eat the whole cow instead of just the burger, but it's disgusting. I can still recall going back to America in the late nineties and the population seemed to have moved from normal to 'herd of bison' in the space of a year or two. Why? What changed? On what level do you get to four hundred pounds and not realise somewhere along the line that you're killing yourself and your children?
• Philippines
7 May 12
You are very right Kojigirl, we have the responsibility to ourselves and our family. As mothers we have to know what is proper nutrition, but the problem here in our country is, most of the people thinks that overweight is a sign of good nutrition. Besides, working mothers who don't have time to cook will just drop by the fastfood and take out. Since our Department of Health is monitoring the statistics on the number of young obese population, they might as well send out information on proper nutrition and the risks of obesity and how to prevent it. Though some professionals are slowly becoming aware of this problem and taking steps to have healthy lifestyle, less educated ones seems not aware of it.
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
28 Apr 12
Yes, the problem is that no one has ever been taught to eat right, and the foods that are considered healthy for them. They often rely on the Fast Food places for that quick fix, and in turn end up bigger as children and adults which leads to Diabetes, and many other Health problems. There are fixes out there like finding ways for Healthy nutrition, weight loss shakes, etc. Just needing to find better ways to educate everyone.
• Philippines
29 Apr 12
Yes Krause, and what is so alarming today, here in the Philippines, more and more persons are diagnosed as having diabetes. More younger generations are having heart disease, men and women. This problem has multiple causes and our government especially the health department should have a strong political will in solving this sooner. Maybe, fastfoods should also formulate more recipes healthy for their clients, so we have other foods to choose from. Thanks a lot!
@youless (112131)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 12
I can see that today there is a trend that people become fatter and fatter. As today there are a lot of different food, especially the fast food like McDonald's. They taste well and they are not expensive. And it is convenient for people to have a meal there and it will not spend time. As today everybody has a busy life and the time is money. So we may eat more junk food than before. Besides, today people have cars and seldom want to do more exercises. And this is why there are more overweight people. I love China
• Philippines
27 Apr 12
Correct youless, doctors say that foods from fast foods are high in cholesterol. These are deposited inside the lining of the arteries that causes atherosclerosis and gives us hypertension. So parents should avoid bringing their kids to fast foods always.Junk foods on the other hand is high in sodium or salt, and it causes water retention and also kidney disease. Well, we should be conscious on all of these. Thanks!
@GemmaR (8517)
26 Apr 12
The amount of people who are overweight in this country honestly shocks me. The thing is, obesity puts such a large strain on our health service, we literally cannot afford to spend the amount of money that is needed on something which could be avoided. There needs to be a lot more education about how to lose weight and how to be healthier, and then it is up to the individual whether they choose to take that advice or not. People should take more responsibility for the actions and therefore their weight.
• Philippines
27 Apr 12
You're right Gemma,this problem can be prevented. We only have to be aware that this is not good and we have to observe precautions. I have observed too that more kids are becoming obese. Maybe because they eat frequently in fastfoods. Although i could see now that more and more people are healthy lifestyle, i think there is still a need for more information campaign. Thanks a lot for your opinion. Have a nice day!
@Cutie18f (9551)
• Philippines
27 Apr 12
This is not good. We have to do something to reverse the situation. An overweight population will add more to our environmental problems because by then we will have bigger needs and more dirt will pollute the earth.
• Philippines
28 Apr 12
Yes cutie, obese is not cute anymore right. Well, we are just concerned about our population especially the young ones. They still have a long way to go and we don't want them to suffer from serious illnesses brought about by obesity. So let us join together in promoting healthy lifestyle. Have a nice day!
@tinjan11 (75)
• Philippines
27 Apr 12
While i'm on a fast food chain eating some snacks, I also observed that there were a lot of people getting bigger.Educating children about proper nutrition should start at home. Parents should make a meal that includes healthy foods so that their children will not grow as overweight. They should not spoil their children in eating foods served in a fast food chain such as french fries and burgers because they contain a lot of fats that are harmful to our health. Aside from eating healthy foods, the parents should also teach their children about the benefits of exercise. They should set an example. Jogging early in the morning together with the kids is good.It can also serve as a family bonding.
• Philippines
28 Apr 12
I agree with you tinjan, more children are hooked to eating in fastfoods nowadays and parents really has a crucial responsibility of teaching their children or training them to eat the right kind of foods. Going out and eating from fastfoods once in a while maybe good as a time for relaxation but too much is really harmful. I am a bit worried with ready to eat foods which most parents buy for their children left at home with the nannies. Some has preservatives and some has more sodium content. It is good to know that there are still people like you who knows the importance of proper diet and exercise. Let's share this to everyone we know and we love. Thanks a lot.
@rkennedee (333)
14 Jun 12
a person's lifestyle is really a great factor in becoming overweight aside from genes and etc. I admit that after giving birth i gained extra weight but i'm really conscious when it comes to figure and appearance. It's really hard to stick with a diet plan but exercise and an active lifestyle help me maintain my average weight
@rkennedee (333)
14 Jun 12
a person's lifestyle is really a great factor in becoming overweight aside from genes and etc. I admit that after giving birth i gained extra weight but i'm really conscious when it comes to figure and appearance. It's really hard to stick with a diet plan but exercise and an active lifestyle help me maintain my average weight