What are we doing about obesity in our country?

‘You look great my friend, you really look money', James told his high school friend. In my village, adding wait on your body is interpreted as a sign of wellness and success, it means you have money and having money means you need look ‘big' in size.

And that is the problem. The other day I was researching for latest information about non-communicable diseases and I found that high-Body Mass Index (BMI) was associated with 4,263 deaths by ischemic heart disease in Uganda in 2013 according to the global burden of disease report.

Yes, the people you see looking fat and therefore ‘looking great' are in danger because they are obese. Obesity happens when a person consumes more calories than he spends. If a person eats more calories than he spends that person gains weight. And if he eats less, he loses weight.

Therefore, the most common causes of obesity are overeating and physical inactivity. And obesity has been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global epidemic (globesity).

A global epidemic because WHO makes it clear that obesity is a chronic medical problem that can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, gallstones and many other life threatening illnesses.

It has also been linked to an increased risk of many types of cancers and that it is very hard to treat and has a high rebound rate. This means that you can lose weight and regain it in a short time.

Therefore in Uganda as in many other countries around the globe, obesity is a national problem that needs to be treated as such, most people are dying because of obesity related causes and unfortunately they are unaware because they say ‘they are doing well because of a big size' like James told his friend.

The good news

In the 1960's and 1970's in Uganda as in many other nations, obesity and all other problems that it can lead to like diabetes and heart disease were less than one sixth of what they are today. This means that with the right decisions and actions we can once again live in a country free from these life threatening diseases.

Solving the problem

How can we solve this problem? Let us invest in research because there may not be a one-size fits-all solution, once the research is done, let all of us in the media, the community educators, the advocates and activists ensure that we disseminate the results and recommendations from the research. The local leaders, the religious leaders, the opinion leaders and all people of good will should make it a point to discuss this issue at every opportunity.

I have seen politicians promising to build bridges where there are no rivers and moving door to door during campaigns, why can't they include obesity education in their manifestoes?, why can't religious leaders preach about this problem that is becoming a big threat to our country?.

And let the policy makers also implement the dietary and nutritional  recommendations from the research, it is useless to give out money for research and when recommendations are made the policy makers keep them on the shelves.

Globally, the WHO has put in place clear guidelines to stop ‘globesity' epidemic which are indicated in Food and Agricultural Organization/WHO strategy to prevent diet related chronic disease.

There is also a need for political good will because politicians who are in the decision making positions regard obesity as an individual problem, this kind of perception and mindset needs to change if we are to reverse ‘globosity'.