WHILE on the move in the city and getting on and off mini-buses as I travelled around, I have made a disturbing observation. There are a lot of overweight people in this city and many are women.

What concerns me is the fact that the majority of overweight women I have spoken to seem unaware that they are even carrying excess pounds and are therefore quite comfortable with their size.

I realise that this is in part due to our culture, which refers to women as being ‘thick’, rather than fat, even when they are undoubtedly well over what their body mass index (BMI) indicates that their weight should be in relation to their height.
However, this is not just a local concern, but one which has been observed internationally.

Recently, during the celebration of International Women’s Day, the question of obesity was raised.

Dr Athul N C Peters had this to say in an interview with the Hindustan Times of India: ” Obesity is a serious health challenge – more than just a number in the scale…It increases the risk of chronic illnesses, destroys reproductive health and is the cause of people being subjected to social stigma.”

Obesity is clearly on the rise and is often a result of improper eating. Too many of us in Guyana still consume high-carbohydrate meals, along with heavily oily foods. While we may also eat vegetables, we invariably overcook – over fry – these, destroying their nutritive value.

In my area, in Golden Grove / Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara, there are four fast food restaurants in the space of less than a quarter of a mile on the main road, and a fifth is scheduled to open its doors shortly.

So, the Guyanese diet in my area will definitely be augmented by more fried foods, with large doses of saturated fats, usually served with an aerated drink loaded with sugar.
If this is a reflection of what is happening nationally, then we are in deep trouble when it comes to weight gain.

The health cost is explosive in a nation already plagued with hypertension and diabetes — two of the leading causes of death — which can both be easily traced back to improper diets.

I often watch with concern, overweight people getting on and off mini-buses, puffing and panting and sweating profusely as they try to squeeze themselves through the doors and into their seats.

In the same way, I watch overweight women struggling to walk along our parapets, often carrying heavy bags loaded with groceries, vegetables and other items.

It is not a happy sight, particularly because the ‘greens’ in those bags will generally be overcooked and fed to our children, who will then be in danger of becoming obese themselves.

Perhaps the theme of today’s World Health Day says it best, ‘ Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures.’

In addition, the World Health Organization states, “The health of mothers and babies is the foundation of healthy families and communities, helping ensure hopeful futures for us all.”