- 2.8 million people die from obesity annually – WHO
To check the rise in obesity and its attendant health consequences like kidney failure, cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes among others, Nigerians have been advised to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Expert said they can do this by engaging in regular exercise and consuming foods rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts.
A Consultant Physician/Nephrologist with St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos Dr. Ebun Bamgboye, who gave the advice,revealed that, adopting a healthy lifestyle remains the only way out if the scourge of kidney disease is to abate in the country.
Speaking on the importance of regular health screening and exercise in an encounter with The Point , Bamgboye identified obesity as major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases and also rise in kidney failure globally especially in low income countries like Nigeria.
According to the World Health Organisation , obesity now prevalent in both high-income and low-income countries, has reached epidemic proportions globally as over 600 million adults are obese, with at least 2.8 million people dying each year as a result of the condition.
Obesity, he said, is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.
Bamgboye, who was the immediate past President of the Nigeria Association of Nephrology , said Nigerians must shift from western diets to African diets if drastic reduction in obesity was to be achieved and must also strive to always maintain a healthy weight and healthy kidneys.
Warning that unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity were major risk factors for obesity, Bamgboye said that individuals affected by obesity have an 83 per cent increased risk of chronic kidney disease, compared to individuals with a healthy weight.
“If you are obese, you are likely to have hypertension and diabetes. And these impact so much on the kidneys. If you are obese by the time you are 20, you have shortened your lifespan by 13 years,” he said.
He however,pointed out that obesity is largely preventable with education and awareness of the risks of obesity and a healthy lifestyle.
The specialist said it was necessary for Nigeria to prevent obesity because over 30 million Nigerians were already down with kidney failure, coupled with increased cases of hypertension, diabetes and cancer among the people.
According to him, St. Nicholas Hospital treats over 120 kidney disease patients annually averaging 10 new cases every month, stressing however that reducing obesity may reverse or slow chronic kidney disease progression when people embrace physical exercise, alongside good dietary habit that is devoid of smoking and excessive alcohol
intake.
Emphasising the importance of monitoring the blood pressure and sugar level at all times in addition to regular exercise, Bamgboye reminded Nigerians that using the Body Mass Index approach was no longer reliable as experts are now saying that waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio, which indicate levels of abdominal fat, were more accurate guides.
On how to check Waist-to-hip Ratio, he explained: “Measure the smallest part of your waist with a tape measure. Don’t hold in your stomach while you measure. Now measure the biggest part of your hips with a tape measure. Measure the part where your buttocks stick out the most. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. A ratio that is bigger than 1.0 (for men) or 0.8 (for women) shows that your abdomen is
obese.”
To further reduce the burden of kidney failure in Nigeria, Bamgboye charged government to implement programmes for the prevention, screening, and treatment of kidney disease.
“The number of patients with End Stage Renal Disease will continue to increase unless the delivery of optimal preventive medical care to prevent the progression of chronic kidney disease is addressed,” he
said.
