Nearly 60 per cent of Albertans over the age of 18 and 26 per cent of the province’s children are overweight or obese. Those are staggering statistics and damning indicators of our present and future health.
Obesity is responsible for a host of health issues ranging from diabetes and heart disease to arthritis and cancer. Alberta Health Services pegs the economic damage of what is now considered a chronic disease at $1.4 billion annually. It is also listed as among the top pressures to the province’s health-care budget.
So out of control has the weight issue become, not only here but also nationwide, that it has surpassed tobacco as the No. 1 cause of premature death. In the case of children, it is predicted an entire generation of young people will grow up with a chronic disease issue due to weight. The result will be catastrophic not only to their health but to the cost of health care and economic productivity.
Obesity was recognized as a disease by the American Medical Association in 2013. It was a controversial classification due to the fact that many people view weight gain as a result of bad lifestyle choices. The science behind obesity points to body processes fighting to maintain a high weight point, referred to as the set-point. That makes weight loss difficult to achieve and maintain. Lifestyle choices – underlying health conditions not withstanding – are the reason that set-point was achieved to begin with.
Classifying obesity as a disease has allowed the St. Albert and Sturgeon Primary Care Network to address it as a chronic health issue. Using that model, it works to help people manage weight with a hope of staving off future health concerns.
While treatment is important, education and prevention are probably more so. Obesity is preventable, but the path to healthy living begins with smart choices. While balancing exercise and diet seems clichĂ©, it is the best way to maintain good health. Unfortunately society can make that seem a more daunting task than it is. Ignore the fad diets, and “health” magazines that dictate a certain look. What is healthy for one person is not for another. If unsure, seek help at a clinic and not in the glossy pages populated by photo-shopped images.
While overweight adults will likely have to fight their biology for the rest of their lives, it is vital parents do not condemn their children to a life of chronic health issues. The stats showing childhood obesity’s continued climb are alarming and we must begin curbing the trend. Teaching them healthy habits early, such as choosing healthy snacks over junk food and balancing active play with time spent in front of a screen, will set them up for success in the future.
In an age where computers and convenience make it easy to be sedentary and junk food is cheaper than healthy food, the challenges are many. The trick is to make healthy living a habit.
