Paramaribo – In Suriname, about 50 percent of society is physically inactive, the Ministry of Health states on Wednesday in connection with the commemoration of the World Obesity Day. According to the ministry, half of the population performs physical activity for less than five days a week for 30 minutes a day.
Another disturbing statistics that public health provides is that 60 to 85 percent of women suffer from overweight and obesity. “Obesity in women is about double that among men,” the ministry writes.
“Because of our lifestyle, we are getting thicker and heavier”
According to the results of the STEPS study conducted in 2013, more than 60 percent of women and almost 50 percent of men in Suriname should lose weight. “There are reasons to worry,” warns public health. “Because of our lifestyle, we are getting thicker and heavier, resulting in more cases of high blood pressure, diabetes and complications, such as heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure.”
At the same time, the situation is not completely hopeless. The ministry indicates that obesity and the associated health consequences can largely be prevented by, among other things, maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This can be done by following the National Voedings Guidelines of Suriname.
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Public Health: “Eat as much fruit and vegetables as possible, avoid food with a high content of salt, sugar and fats, reduce or avoid sugary drinks, drink at least eight glasses per day, avoid smoking and alcohol and do at least thirty minutes a day to exercise.”
People also have to sleep enough – at least six to eight hours a day – and they have to control stress. According to public health, this is possible by avoiding stressful situations that can influence mental health.
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Currently, more than eight hundred million people worldwide live with obesity. This number is expected to continue to increase. All over the world there is an increased intake of energy-rich food with a lot of salt and fats, an increase in physical inactivity as a result of the increasingly sitting nature of many forms of work, changing events, including the e-bike, and increasing urbanization.
Every year on 4 March World Obesity Day is commemorated to increase awareness about obesity, as well as to pay attention to the causes and necessary measures to tackle and prevent this disease. Obesity or obesity is a chronic disease that is characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the body.
The Body Mass Index (BMI) of a person indicates whether it is too heavy. With a BMI over thirty, the person is Obees and with a BMI between 25 and 30 there is overweight sprsake. Overweight people run great risk, because if they continue with their lifestyle, they reach a BMI of over 30.
Another important size is the abdominal circumference. With a much too big belly, the fat hopes around and in organs such as the liver, the heart, et cetera. Obesity can therefore lead to severe health consequences, such as cardiovascular disease (strokes), diabetes (type 2), musculoskeletal disorders, such as osteoarthritis and some forms of cancer (including uterus, stomach and colon cancer).
The risk of overweight and obesity is increased by:
- Lack of physical activity
- Unhealthy eating behavior (consuming food with too much salt, sugar and fats, little fruit and vegetables)
- Don’t get enough good sleep
- A lot of stress
- Health states
- Genetics
- Medication
- Your environment
