OBESITY AMONG CHILDREN

Feb 07, 2018 Editorial

In Guyana, the data on obesity is shocking and it should be of great concern to all. According to the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) obesity rates among adults in the country climbed from 35 percent in 2006 to 44 percent in 2010, and 55 per cent in 2016.
PAHO also pointed out that being overweight is one of the underlying causes of death in Guyana due to fat consumption and daily intake of large quantities of sugar. Two out of every three deaths in the country are attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) — heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and stroke — all of which are related to obesity.
What is even worse is that recent data from PAHO shows that childhood obesity in the country remains a growing and disturbing problem. Twenty-seven percent of boys and 34 percent of girls between the age of 6 and 16 are obese and 75 percent of them drink at least one sugary drink daily. Less than 25 percent receive the recommend one-hour daily exercise.
Obesity has significantly and negatively impacted our children. This is a huge problem, because obesity-related diseases are the main causes of death in the country. Ignoring this problem could be detrimental to our children and society as a whole.
Childhood obesity is a precursor to all types of life-threatening ailments which have crippled the lives of many. Reducing the obesity rate is crucial to the health of children and the Ministry of Public Health should embark on a plan to solve this problem. Failure to reverse this worrying trend will only result in the inevitable increase in the already spiraling health care costs and more premature deaths in the country.
Child obesity is largely a result of behaviour. Eating too much unhealthy food and not exercising regularly are the main causes of obesity. Providing children with nutritious diets could solve this issue. Children from poor families should have access to healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and nutritious snacks, and the Ministry of Education should make sure that these are placed on the school menus. All schools, public and private, must have adequate physical education facilities for students, and there must be parks and other safe recreational facilities in neighbourhoods, countrywide, for children to exercise.
It is also equally important for parents to provide healthier diets for their children. High-calorie foods should be limited and sugary drinks should be banned. In the interest of their children, parents should encourage outdoor activity, reduce television viewing and time spent on electronic gadgets in the home. The bottom line is, that if we are serious about protecting our children and ensuring that they lead healthy, happy lives, then we should do all within our power to reduce or eliminate childhood obesity.
Excessive processed sugar intake is dangerous for children, because it predisposes them to illnesses like diabetes, stroke and heart disease. And even though life for many is generally sedentary, banning sugar might be difficult. Sugar is part of our traditional diet, therefore to completely eliminate it could be equally harmful, simply because traditions have a tendency to become habit, and habits are, in some instances, illogical. Also, people are attached to sugar not only at a biological or cultural level, but also emotional and social.
The truth is, life without sugar for Guyanese is inconceivable. Removing all processed sugar from our diet and replacing it with fruits and vegetables would be a break from tradition. How could children possibly not have that candy, eat that chocolate or ice cream or have that soft drink?
Furthermore, sugar causes the secretion of dopamine, a feel-good chemical. So the intake of sugar is something from which we derive pleasure.
If our children mean everything to us, then we should protect them by encouraging healthy eating.

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OBESITY AMONG CHILDREN

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