By Dr William Tsikisayi
HEALTH is a key topic in our everyday lives and the decisions we make, the food we eat and drinks we consume play a critical role in our wellbeing. Over the coming week, we are going to be covering topics including metabolic syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity, and Cardiovascular Disease. We cannot over-emphasize that 60 per cent of the population in Southern Africa is battling with obesity and the same can be related to Western countries.
OBESITY
Obesity is essentially Body Massive Index (BMI) above 30 which is your weight in kgs divided by your height in metres. Some people are physically challenged, and there are those with dwarfism whose height remains a challenge. The main problem we find is that obesity is not caused by overeating but by the poor choice of food. The reason it has become prevalent in both the Western world and developing countries is because of the quality of food. The biggest culprit is carbohydrates, the use of saturated trans fats and poor or a lot of sugar intake. Those who can afford breakfast will have a loaf of bread full of wheat which is carbohydrates, a cup of tea with five teaspoons of sugar and a bit of butter which has saturated trans fats. In the Western world, because people are busy, they are eating fast food. Because of the nature of their industries, fast food outlets tend to produce fatty foods.
SUGAR
There is a high intake of fizzy and sugary drinks. The consumption of 250 ml is equivalent to taking more than 7 teaspoons of sugar. Imagine a person taking 2 litres per day. As the Clinic Group and one of the best health services in the country and Africa at large, we are in a drive for weight loss clinics driven by the need for a healthy generation hat can work and change the economy. A generation that is empowered to be physically active.
We have taken a stand and posture to be active in terms of what people eat and what they have eaten can be regulated to improve physical activity. We have roped in weight health care specialists including doctors trained in managing metabolic syndrome, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases.
METABOLIC SYNDROME
Metabolic syndrome is characterized by high blood pressure, dysregulated body liquids or fats, hyperuricemia and a bit of vascular disease changes. We are introducing and always upholding our patients to come and understand the drug called Ozempic. More about this drug will be discussed at a personal level. It is the number one drug in the U.S. from a company with a turnover of 80 to more than 600 million a year.
WEIGHT LOSS
This shows the company is listed on the stock exchange and further shows how people have managed to be cognisant and aware of their health. As a continent, we are going and driving for a first world class in health which means a fit workforce. The drug on average can make you lose your basal weight about 6 per cent of your weight. If you weigh 60 kg when taking the drug, you lose about 3.6 kg within a month which is very important because the average weight loss should be 10 to 20 per cent in three years.
We do have specialised dieticians and nutritionists available to take you on this journey and are ready to assist people with meal plans to support their weight journey.
They will give diet and disease meal plans, whether you’re obese or underweight. Laboratories are available for all the necessary checkups and people are urged to visit our facilities for personalised meal plans.