National Obesity Awareness Week: 9-15 January: Islamic Perspectives

THE FIGURES ON OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY:

More than two-thirds (68.8 percent) of adults are considered to be overweight or obese. More than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity. Almost 3 in 4 men (74 percent) are considered to be overweight or obese.

A large number of children today are overweight !

The latest figures, for 2015/16, show that 19.8% of children in Year 6 (aged 10-11) were obese and a further 14.3% were overweight. Of children in Reception (aged 4-5), 9.3% were obese and another 12.8% were overweight. This means a third of 10-11 year olds and over a fifth of 4-5 year olds were overweight or obese.

There is no doubt that the number and the percentage of the overweight and obese people are increasing day after day

HEALTH HAZARDS:
Overweight/Obesity will give us these diseases:
-Coronary heart diseases
-High blood pressure
-High blood Cholesterol
-Stroke
-Type 2 Diabetes
-Cancers(Colon, breast , uterus…)
-Metabolic Syndrome
-Osteoarthritis
-Sleep Apnea
-Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome

-Reproductive problems
-Gall stones
-Some psychological symptoms
Plus a lot of discomfort in our daily life

THE COST OF OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY IN THE UK:
20 Nov 2014 – Obesity is a greater burden on the UK’s economy than armed violence, war and terrorism, costing the country nearly £47 billion a year(including over £6 billion medical cost).

PRIMARY PREVENTION OF OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY(ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES)
The Islamic Healthy medical facts:
FOODS/EATING:
-Proper/long period of breastfeeding
-Eating only when hungry
-Filling only third of Stomach with food
-No overeating
-Eating True halal meat and food , a lot of natural fruits and vegetables and natural juices and consuming : nuts, spices, herbs…
-Avoiding all processed junk foods(non Tayyib) which are full of sugar , fats and salts with some HARAM additives
-Avoiding a lot of sugar/sweets and the hidden sugar in fizzy drinks and foods
-Avoiding a lot of carbohydrates and fats
-Consuming Tayyib (natural organic pure…)foods and drinks
-Fasting properly the month of Ramadan
-Fasting 2 days/week or 3 days/month(good also for strong immunity and to avoid cancers…)

A LOT OF EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES/AVOIDING THE PRESENT SEDENTARY LIFE:
-The 5 daily prayers and ablution: daily 5 KEEP FIT EXERCISES
-Walking to the mosques: Today Walking is prescribed by doctors and medics for many health benefits
like: Heart disease/Hypertension…apart from overweight/obesity(WALKING THERAPY) for about 20 minutes/day.
Less use of car/lift/remote control…
-Working always in a job/employment(except when ill)
-Housework /motherhood/wifehood(woman can loose about 800 calories/day)
-Swimming/horse riding…running /self defence/strong body…camping/mountain climbing(as the mountain of CAVE HIRA’A).
-All the prescribed activities in UMRAH and HAJJ
-Volunteering work/helping the needy/Visiting/Da’wa work

It is important that:
* Our children in schools do a lot of exercises
* Having exercises machines at home or to join GYM clubs(single sex)
* We address the serious problem of overweight/obesity among: Asians/Muslims/Arabs especially in Gulf countries!
*We remember that on every joint in our body there is a Sadakah
*ALLAH does not look to the appearance or shape or size of your body…but He looks to your heart and deeds

National Obesity Awareness Week 2017 is only round the corner! … View our National Obesity Awareness Week website at the following link to see how you can …

A lower than normal HDL cholesterol level (or you’re on medicine to treat low HDL cholesterol). … Higher than normal fasting blood sugar (or you’re on medicine to treat diabetes). Cancer. Being overweight or obese raises your risk for colon, breast, endometrial, and gallbladder cancers.

REFERENCES:
National Obesity Forum – National Obesity Awareness Week
www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk/index.php/training…/nof-now.html

What Are the Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity? – NHLBI, NIH
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/risks

DR A MAJID KATME(MBBCH,DPM)

Ex-President: Islamic Medical Association/UK
Weekly Radio broadcaster: Health show

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