Excessive time spent watching television, using the computer, and playing video games is partly to blame for this escalating rate. Children, on average, spend up to six hours a day involved in these sedentary activities.
To make matters worse, children are bombarded with well-crafted TV ads from fast-food chains and other purveyors of high-fat, high-sugar meals and snacks. A recent study reported that two- to six-year-olds who watch television are more likely to choose food products advertised on TV than children who do not watch such commercials. These highly effective advertising campaigns, combined with a physically inactive lifestyle, have produced a generation of kids who are at high risk for obesity-associated medical conditions.
The major health threat is the early development of Type 2 diabetes (adult onset), particularly in children with a family history of the disease. Doctors are reporting a surge in young adolescents developing Type 2 diabetes — which can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, stroke, limb amputations, and blindness. People who develop diabetes in adolescence face a diminished quality of life and shortened life span, particularly if the disease progresses untreated.
“It’s a scary prospect for our children but, in many cases, obesity and diabetes are preventable,” says Dr. Sheriff Afifi, Bupa Arabia’s health expert who conducted a seminar on prevention of diabetes for the employees of Jeddah-based National Commercial Bank. “You can prevent it by making lifestyle changes to last a lifetime.”
In fact, the rise of diabetes is a serious global issue. According to the World health Organization, obesity has become a worldwide disease that can lead to a variety of diseases such as diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases, hypertension and high blood cholesterol. There can be little doubt that highly developed countries including Saudi Arabia are in the midst of an obesity epidemic. The figures revealed so far in a number of studies done on a slice of the Saudi population portray a grim picture too. However, there are ways to prevent and control obesity and the major benefit of that may be measured not just in terms of years of life gained, but also in a better quality of life.
In 2007, as many as 246 million people worldwide were affected by the illness and this number is expected to reach 380 million by 2025. Saudi Arabia is one of the countries most affected with the number of diabetes cases increasing every year. Sedentary lifestyle and casual dieting habits are key contributing factors.
The complications that might appear when suffering from diabetes include heart, kidney, nerve and blood vessel problems and also diabetic eye disease. These complications are usually exacerbated by smoking, high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
Some alarming statistics quoted in major publications stated that about 66 percent of Saudi women are overweight. About 52 percent of the adult population in the Kingdom is obese while among adolescents it is 18 percent. Over 15 percent of pre-schools are also victims of obesity. These figures reflect the seriousness of the disease especially that obesity can lead to a variety of diseases such as diabetes cardio-vascular diseases, hypertension, cancer and high blood cholesterol.
Parental involvement remains the most important key to our children’s healthy diets. Programs to educate parents about nutrition are essential. Fast foods should be consumed only in moderation.
Here are important things parents can do to curtail the obesity epidemic among children: Limit TV viewing and time on the computer to one or two hours per day; encourage participation in physical activity and sports; curtail visits to fast-food restaurants; provide nutritious, well-balanced, low-calorie, and low-fat meals; limit the availability of high-fat and high-sugar snacks in your home.
Weight reduction is beneficial in many ways: reduction in risk factors of overweight or obesity-related diseases and symptoms; blood pressure reduction — ideal for patients suffering form hypertension; reduction of glucose levels which is good for diabetics; reduction of cholesterol and fat levels, which helps patients suffering from cholesterol disturbances arterial clots and myocardial infarction; improving one’s look and morale; reduction of potential early deaths due to obesity-related diseases.
It is vital to change your lifestyle if you have diabetes. “It is very important to monitor your blood sugar, be physically active, eat healthy food, take care of your heart and manage stress in addition to your medical treatment. Above all, create an action plan to accomplish your change of lifestyle,” Dr. Afifi said.
