Humanity on the Verge of Extinction

This heading may not be as absurd as it sounds. The problem is obesity. In 2001, The Genuine Progress Index for Atlantic Canada estimated 2,000 British Columbia residents die prematurely each year from obesity-related illness, such as diabetes and heart problems, losing 8,000 potential years of life annually.

In my nursing experience, I see both in hospital and community settings the growing number of clients from various age groups that are over-weight. They report numerous health symptoms and suffer life-threatening diagnoses that are linked with their weight.

According to Statistics Canada (2004), an estimated 500,000 children and 5.5 million adults are obese. The obesity rates among children and adults have more than doubled during the past 25 years.

I believe that obesity is a health problem that urgently needs to be addressed. Failure to do so could take away years of life that could be shared with loved ones.

Obesity is not an impossible problem to solve. It is recognized as the second leading preventable cause of death after cigarette smoking.

In order to address obesity, we must look at the lifestyle and diet choices we have.

In my personal experience, children in my family often ask for fries and burgers. They are not just asking for any kind, they want the ones that come with a toy, famously known as the “Kid’s Combo”. We too prefer fast food meals more often that we should. It is much faster to have and, with ketchup on the side, it’s great for the taste buds. However, fast food is rich in trans fats, cholesterol and calories. Food experts believe that these are not suitable for the human body, which can lead to the deterioration of arteries and organs.

Fast food advertisements are everywhere in TV commercials, billboards, newspapers, magazines and radio. Attention-grabber posters in various sizes and eye-catching colours are all around us. Where are the huge billboards with green leafy vegetables? The only time we can see healthy foods being advertised are in diet ads or in small print stating, "As part of a healthy balanced diet and active lifestyle."

We can do better! In nursing I learned about strategies to promote a healthy and long life such as the 3 P’s: Prefer, Promote, and Practice.

Prefer. The Canada Food Guide suggests dark greens and orange vegetables, meat alternatives such as beans and tofu, fresh fruit and grain products. This menu might look a tad bland but you could experiment with different recipes and you’ll get the hang of it. You should drink plenty of water to wash things down.

Promote. The major excuse we use to avoid healthy eating habits is the lack of time. Who packs healthy lunches these days? Time is a luxury we cannot afford; however, we believe planning is the solution. Time is best used when planning meals. You could try to prepare meals in advance and store them in the freezer. Instead of lying on the couch on the weekend, you can walk to the nearest grocery store and buy fresh fruits and vegetables. If fresh foods are not an option due to financial constraints, you could pay more attention to nutrition labels, and opt for a healthier choice. It might not be the freshest, but it is better than running to the nearest fast food outlet.

Practice. It is important to combine a healthy diet with an active lifestyle. Instead of spending so much time using technology, you should be more active as a person. You could walk to the bank and pay your bills instead of paying them online. Rather than spending your evenings watching TV, you can try different recreational activities that you always wanted to do, such as signing up for a dance class or joining a sport’s team.

Optimal health should be what we strive for and healthy eating is the first step.

Clearly, obesity can cause premature death but there is a way to fight it and live longer. Following a healthy diet and an active lifestyle can be tough but practice makes it better—better for our health and life expectancy. Keep that in mind.

Stop asking, "Do I look fat in this dress?"... do something about it!

I am. I'm 30 lbs overweight for my height. I love to eat and I love deep fried but I had enough of gaining weight, inactive life, and huffing and puffing after climbing few flights of stairs. Join me and be challenged. Let's do it not for the fitted dress but to live longer and enjoyable life.

Everyone has their healthy slim self inside them, raving to get out...