What is obesity?

Obesity is being overweight and it is a global problem now which is increasing day by day globally and dramatic rise of obesity in Pakistan has been seen in recent years. It is also referred to as an illness in which a large amount of fat gets accumulated in one’s body and hence it’s very hazardous to health. Health officers are also calling it the obesity epidemic because it is affecting people from all age and income groups. It’s not specific to a particular gender or a particular group of people. It’s widespread and prevailing all across the globe.

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Obesity in Pakistan:

Like other countries, obesity in Pakistan is also rising at an alarming rate. Most of the global deaths are caused by obesity so rising obesity in Pakistan is a matter of great concern these days. As per a research, WHO states that approximately 26 % of women in Pakistan suffer from the problem of obesity while only 19 % of the men are obese. But the current 2013 statistics have revealed that in 2013, the rates were 28 per cent for men and 38 per cent for women, which is a very large gap between the two genders.  Obesity is higher in urban areas (56% in men and 67% in women as compared to rural areas. Even childhood obesity is also growing at a fast pace. As per 2013 statistics it was 10 % which is a huge figure. According to express Tribune, Pakistan has been ranked 9^th out of 188 countries with regard to obesity. This clearly shows how big of a problem it is now. Because of this problem, approximately 3.4 million people died in 2010. This is the reason why we need to focus more towards being fit more than ever.

Problems caused by obesity in Pakistan:

Obese people have greater chances of getting affected by chronic diseases like cancer, heart diseases kidney diseases and diabetes. Hence this indicates that effective steps should be taken before the situation becomes even worse. According to a research it has been stated that if obesity continues to rise at the same pace then it would further reduce the life expectancy of the people of Pakistan. In Pakistan one third of the adult population is obese. According to Dr Zulfikar Bhutta, this is increasing the problem of malnutrition among children in Pakistan .The children are dying because of it and the adults are becoming more obese. Pakistan has an obesity rate of 14 % in adults which is a very big issue and it should be looked upon (On regional basis), while Bhutan has the highest rate of child obesity. The BMI (Body mass index) of Pakistan is above 30 for 14 % of men and women and on a global level approximately 37 % people are obese including both men and women. These alarming statistics state that, if corrective actions are not taken soon then it would have harmful effects on the country and the economy as a whole. The whole nation would have to suffer because of this problem.

Another problem in Pakistan is that the people are taking this issue very lightly. Approximately 52 % of overweight and 73 % of obese people have not even identified their problem and they think that it’s normal. People think it as a symbol of health and they are not aware of the possible hazards to their health which can be caused by their excessive weight therefore they rarely try to lose weight. For Pakistan to progress, it’s important that awareness is created among the population regarding the harmful effects of weight gain, not only for themselves but also for the whole economy. Moreover a greater level of obesity has been observed in the elderly people as compared to the young people. Most people say that its age related phenomenon but health problems also increase with age and obesity makes the situation worst.