Forum: Eat right to combat obesity and visceral fat
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
It is timely that experts have raised awareness about the serious health problems associated with obesity, and the critical role visceral fat plays (Weighty issue: Obesity can cause over 200 medical problems including heart failure, cancer, Oct 20).
Excessive visceral fat is the main culprit behind many of these medical problems. Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress trigger damage in various organs and tissues, and it is especially worrying that such damage often starts from young, in children who are overweight or obese.
The damage will progress steadily if the excess accumulation of visceral fat is not curbed. It is, therefore, important to prevent and control this.
Rather than eating less, it is better to eat right. A diet that is nutritious and filling is a sustainable and healthy option, especially for children and adolescents.
A healthy, plant-based whole-foods diet fits such requirements, and gives us multiple benefits that go beyond losing weight or visceral fat. Consuming such foods will also have an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect on the body.
This is why such a diet can directly counteract the damaging effects of obesity and excessive visceral fat.
Given the option to choose between a healthy, plant-based whole-foods diet with negligible side effects, and expensive medication that may have side effects, which would make a better choice?
Ho Ting Fei (Dr)
