According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980. This is staggering.
In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Of these over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.
35% of adults aged 20 and over were overweight in 2008, and 11% were obese.
65% of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
More than 40 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2012.
Obesity is preventable.
We must be aware that unhealthy diets and physical inactivity are major risk factors for chronic diseases.It is encouraged for us to include the following in our diet:
achieve energy balance and a healthy weight
limit energy intake from total fats and shift fat consumption away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats and towards the elimination of trans-fatty acids
increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, and legumes, whole grains and nuts
limit the intake of free sugars
limit salt (sodium) consumption from all sources and ensure that salt is iodized
Overweight and obesity, as well as their related noncommunicable diseases, are largely preventable.
Unhealthy diets is considered as a factor for a range of chronic diseases, which includes cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and other conditions linked to obesity. It is recommended for a healthy diet to include: eating more fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and grains; cutting down on salt, sugar and fats. It is also advisable to choose unsaturated fats, instead of saturated fats and towards the elimination of trans-fatty acids.One of the key players, the food industry can play a strategic role in promoting healthy diets in several ways:
reducing the fat, sugar and salt content of processed foods;
ensuring that healthy and nutritious choices are available and affordable to all consumers;
practicing responsible marketing especially those aimed at children and teenagers;
ensuring the availability of healthy food choices and supporting regular physical activity practice in the workplace.
The industry can also advocate the consumption of organic and natural foods, educating children to eat the right type of food for balanced growth.We have to learn to eat the right type of food, and live a balanced life. The journey towards better health and happiness is getting to be challenging. We must always seek the most appropriate solutions to fit our preferred lifestyle.
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