Forum: Take steps to prevent obesity in young

I am glad there's more awareness of how to prevent chronic diseases, but want to highlight certain areas which need to be addressed more clearly.

Obesity is one such area. It is now considered a disease - it predisposes a person to hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, respiratory problems and cancer. It was recently found that obese individuals do not develop an optimum immune response to Covid-19 vaccination.

We must take steps to prevent obesity from childhood. Parents must not take this lightly and treat cuddly obese children as cute.

As a general practitioner, I have come across many who died in their 30s from heart attacks, and obesity features as one of the main factors. It is sad and unpleasant for a doctor to encounter mothers who cry as they face the death of children in their 30s.

The diet of children and adults is significant in preventing obesity. Fast food, food rich in saturated fats and sugar, and the amount of food and snacks consumed - all these are relevant. The lack of exercise is another important area.

I have some patients who could not reduce their weight through their own actions but managed to do so after surgery of the digestive system.

For many of these patients who were diabetic, the disease became a thing of the past and they no longer needed medication. However, they then needed to ensure that they maintained a healthy lifestyle to not put on their previous weight.

On the other end of the scale, sarcopenia - the loss of skeletal muscle mass - predisposes a person to other health problems. Being thin and extremely underweight leads to the increase of osteoporosis, a silent killer.

Osteoporosis is a cause of many fractures, particularly among the elderly, leading to a person being confined to a wheelchair or the bed, or ending up with a curved spine or fat embolism, which can cause death.

The condition of our teeth may also be a factor in health problems. Often, the absence of teeth means poor digestion and nutrition, which cause gastrointestinal problems as well as sarcopenia and osteoporosis.

Some of these factors can be identified and corrected if individuals are prepared to go for screening, adopt preventive measures and live a healthy lifestyle.

Quek Koh Choon (Dr)

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.