The epidemic doctors now refer to as Diabesity is a condition where obesity is the precursor leading to the full blown development of diabetes. An Australian surgeon wrote a cause and effect piece to potentially nip this growing problem in the bud.
The call to action in this article is quite simple: eat less and walk more. Could such a simple suggestion really curtail an epidemic that is poised to become the biggest health threat in Asia within the next decade? This is not a trick. It's actually quite simple. Don't believe the hype? Probably much easier said than done -- but here's an evolutionary explanation that might inspire you to make this work.
Since the beginning of time, human beings were meant to use up the calories they consume in their food by their daily physical activities. Our ancestors started out living in caves, eating the roots and vegetables they gathered and the flesh that they hunted. These days we live in houses, and consume more than we need to sustain homeostasis and beyond. We walk very little and we all put on weight as we get older, especially around our waists. As we continue on this path of least resistance, and most convenience -- diabesity is becoming a mainstay in our lives. If eating healthy and walking more became an easy and convenient option for everybody -- could this be an automatic resolution to an unforgiving problem?
1. I couldn't agree more, obesity is on the rise, especially in America. It is becoming an increasing problem, as it is linked to many health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis...etc. I think too many people focus on diet as the only means to combat obesity. Diets alone, often are short lived (especially the fad diets) and fail. Instead, people need to focus on lifestyle changes. If we focus more on our overall health, as opposed to weight alone, there can be great improvement. To do this, one must set goals as they look over their daily habits. How much time do they spend exercising a day? How often do they snack? What are they snacking on? How many calories are you taking in? Are we eating enough healthy foods? What is done during leisure time? How much sleep are we getting? Are we bringing work home with us? If we can obtain the right balance in our lives, then just maybe, we can clue in on what our ancestors were doing and stop obesity in its tracks...
Posted at 11:39AM on Oct 6th 2007 by Devon Vitti