Features
Childhood obesity – a global tsunami or time bomb
The world has never been this heavy and from all indications we will grow heavier. Obesity cuts across all continents and all age groups. Surely childhood obesity cannot offer us any positive sides.
In a society where being overweight or obese is considered a mark of affluence and parents pride themselves in having babies who look like teddy-bears, it is not surprising that we are still silent at a time when the western world is paying the price for childhood obesity.
We constantly remind our children to wear seatbelts and also wash their hands with soap and water before eating but we hardly advise our little jewels that eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise is the trump card to good health.
It is important to drum it home that obesity is a health risk that they need to avoid to ensure that they grow into healthy adults. Good health definitely makes life more enjoyable.
Remember an obese child is often prone to diseases that only a few years ago were the preserve of the elderly. Imagine developing high blood pressure, type II diabetes and high cholesterol before your 20th birthday.
This increases your risk of developing complications such as heart attacks, strokes, amputations and a whole lot in your forties when you are at the peak of your career. What a loss! There is still hope though. We can stop this canker if we start now.
What is the Cause of this trend?
This is partly due to the dramatic shift in children’s lifestyle. Children have become more sedentary, spending hours on end watching television, playing video games and surfing the internet. Contrast that with a decade or two ago when playing gutter-to-gutter with socks-ball was worth missing a meal or two.
The food they eat has not improved either and unhealthy snacks are readily available at home and in school. Few families are sitting together to enjoy a nutritious dinner. Children thrive on fast foods which is high in calories, sugar and bad fats and most of them do not have a regular eating schedule.
All these are a sure way to arrive in the land of obesity. It is unfortunate that many people consider these foods the in-thing and will always choose fried rice with questionable chicken over apem (plantain) and abom with fish.
Prevention is the best cure
As parents we are the best role models for our children so let us set the right examples. The best way to avoid a weight problem with your children is to start early with a healthy lifestyle.
Encourage good eating habits and exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle and adopt these habits yourself.
Tips to prevent childhood obesity
- Work together as a family
- Regular family meals improve children’s nutrition and encourages healthy eating habits and leads to a reduction in the risk of childhood obesity. I am assuming that as parents we will prepare healthy meals.
- Eating breakfast is a MUST
- Do not single out any family member, adopt a healthy lifestyle for all to follow
- Respect your child’s appetite; children do not have to eat everything on their plate.
- Limit high calorie foods such as sweet tasting biscuits and discourage snacks except when they are fruits.
- Avoid soft drinks such as coke, fanta etc
- Limit fast foods, pre-prepared foods and foods with added sugar.
- Encourage high intake of fibre, fruits and vegetables.
- Replace whole milk with low fat versions from age two.
- Identify risks and try to set realistic goals
- If children spend long hours watching television or playing on the computer, set a stricter limit and monitor it. Remove televisions from bedrooms and encourage children to spend time outdoors.
- Schools should encourage physical education instead of spending hours feeding information to children. Remember a sound mind in a sound body. As parents and guardians it is our duty to champion this during PTA meetings.
- Create a family exercise plan
- Exercise together as a family, it could even be dancing to music in the living room or taking a walk together outdoors.
- Reward good behaviour
- Give rewards for reaching goals but do not use food as a reward or bribe
- Seek help if needed
- Depending on the cause of the weight problem, some children may need behavioural therapy or other professional help to achieve a healthy weight. Seek help when you are not making any positive headway.
An obese child is no laughing matter, neither is it a reflection of the affluence of his or her parents. It is a time bomb waiting to explode. A real health hazard covered with fat. Take aggressive steps now to avoid it or reverse it.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)
(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)
*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’
Thought for the week – 1. “Theme for World Heart Day 2024 – Motivate Individuals to Look After Their HEART HEALTH.”
References
- If I had only a minute with the president – Dr Kojo Cobba Essel
- Health Tips from giantfoodstores.com
- Dr David Ludwig- Child Obesity Expert
Features
Mysteries of this world
A young boy was travelling on a school trip to Mountain Afadja and his younger brother asked him to buy him meat pie when returning home from the journey. On their way back to Accra, he saw a vendor with meat pie and he moved quickly towards the front of the vehicle to buy one through the window.
A few seconds later, a vehicle smashed into the back of the bus where he was moments before and the aftermath was a disaster. His desire to honour his promise to his younger brother, saved him from death.
A lot of the students at the rear area of the bus died. Such is life and certain things are inexplicable. What made him see the meat pie vendor and leave the back seat towards the front of the bus, moments before the heavy truck crashed into the rear of the bus?
There are happenings in life that does not simply make sense and if you try to apply logical reasoning to them, they fail to explain why what happened.
Recently a young man who was working at a construction site decided to stop work briefly to get something to eat. On his way returning back, the whole three story building that he was working in had completely collapsed with a couple of his colleagues under the rubble.
Again the question is, why did he not delay his going out of the building for a few minutes which would have made him a victim of the incident? No logical explanation to this.
A cousin of mine was living in Takoradi during the early days of the 31st December revolution. One morning on his way to work, he was stopped by a soldier holding a gun and he told my cousin to get unto a truck parked by the roadside, ostensibly to join others already onboard to go do some job.
He was annoyed by someone just ordering him simply because he had authority. He brushed the gun aside and went past the truck heading towards his shop. According to him he heard behind him a gun being clocked and then he heard a soft voice telling him not to look back but continue along. He then hear people shouting “oh, oh” but he did not turn around to look back.
The place was a short distance from his refrigeration repair shop so he soon reached his shop. A few minutes after sitting down in front of his shop, people came rushing to him enquiring where he got his ‘power’ from. He asked them what they were talking about and they told him that the soldier clocked his gun to shoot him but as he suddenly started collapsing unto the ground.
This led them to believe that my cousin have some kind of juju powers, hence they asked him where he went for spiritual fortification. The intriguing question is, whose voice did he hear ordering him not to look back? It still baffles him up to this day.
The June 3rd disaster is another instance of a deliverance from certain death that my brother-in-law experienced. That afternoon he had gone to buy items for his JHS 3 son and as usual when going home, had gone to a store where he has some friends to chat with them for a while before going home.
After some few minutes, he decided to go home since he had been drenched by the drizzling that came after the earlier heavy rainfall. When he got home about 35 minutes later, he switched on the TV and a fire disaster that has burnt people to death as well as destroyed a fuel station, vehicles and buildings near the filling station, including the store where he had stopped to chat a short while ago. A voice had convinced him to leave the place and that was what saved him.
Being a Christian, I would attribute it to God but why he choose to deal with certain individuals and deliver them and the criteria for selection, is a mystery
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Features
Navigating your emotional landscape: A journey of self-discovery and healing
Introduction
Our emotional landscape is a vast and intricate terrain, shaped by our experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and memories. It’s a world where our emotions, both conscious and unconscious reside, influencing our relationships, decisions, and overall well-being.
In this article, we’ll explore the concept of the emotional landscape, its components, and how understanding it can lead to greater self-awareness, emotional regulation, and healing.
The components of the emotional landscape
Our emotional landscape consists of various regions, each representing a different emotional state. These regions are shaped by our:
– Life experiences: Trauma, relationships, and significant events.
– Thoughts and beliefs: Positive or negative self-talk.
– Emotions: Joy, sadness, anger, fear, and more.
– Memories: Happy, painful, or neutral.
– Coping mechanisms: Healthy or unhealthy strategies for managing emotions.
Exploring your emotional landscape
To navigate your emotional landscape, start by:
– Identifying emotional patterns and triggers.
– Recognising areas for growth and healing.
– Developing emotional awareness and regulation.
– Cultivating self-compassion and acceptance.
Benefits of understanding your emotional landscape
By exploring and understanding your emotional landscape, you can:
– Gain greater self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
– Develop more effective coping mechanisms.
– Improve relationships and communication.
– Enhance emotional resilience and well-being.
– Unlock personal growth and transformation.
Conclusion
Navigating your emotional landscape is a journey of self-discovery and healing. By understanding the components of your emotional landscape and exploring its regions, you can gain a deeper connection with yourself and develop a more authentic, wholehearted existence.
Remember, your emotional landscape is unique and ever-changing, and embracing its complexities can lead to a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
BY ROBERT EKOW GRIMMOND-THOMPSON
