The battle of the bulge

Fifty years ago, it was considered a sign of prosperity for a man to have a big belly. Today, men have become more aware that the 'beer belly' is a sign of ill health.

We start the battle of the bulge with a distinct advantage: most of us are born weighing less than 4kg. Even if we weigh more than this at birth, by eating just what we need for growth and by being physically active, we can achieve healthy weights. Unfortunately, this goal has always been a challenge.

Before the 1960s, we had difficulty providing adequate quantities of food with energy (carbohydrates and fats) and building units (proteins and vitamins) to our populations. Hence, malnutrition was the major problem. But as our nation moved from poor to middle-income, our supplies of energy-rich food (fats and sugars) and foods from animals (proteins and fats) have surpassed what we need for physical activity. At the same time, we are engaged in less physical activity because of modernisation in every aspect of daily living (transportation, type of work). So the stage is set for everyone to be engaged in the battle of the bulge.

The first year of life

Most babies will have healthy weights if fed solely on their mother's milk. Unfortunately, as more mothers are involved in work outside home, most infants are introduced to baby formulas based on cow's or soy milk. These are concentrated sources of energy and building blocks. If overfed, babies will become obese. The introduction of bottled juices (rather than fruits) in the first year of life carries the danger of excess intake of sugars, again leading to obesity.

Childhood obesity

Left to themselves, most children will eat adequate quantities of food to provide energy. Childhood obesity occurs when children are given too much food, or food that is loaded with energy. On the activity side, most children have become less active as they no longer walk to school and less time is spent on physical games.

Obesity in adolescence

It is during adolescence that we develop many of the habits that lead to obesity. Eating breakfast makes us less likely to seek out foods with excessive amounts of energy, later in the day. During adolescence, there is a great need for energy and building foods but teens are often fed highly salted or sweetened snacks between meals.

Adult obesity

Adults usually lose the battle of the bulge when they begin to work at a typical nine-to-five desk job or start to drive to work. They sit for hours in traffic, going to and from work, and sit another eight hours at work. Being sedentary results in overweight and obesity as adults enter their fourth and fifth decade of life. Only a concerted effort of healthy eating and committed physical activity can reverse this trend.

Dr Pauline Williams-Green is a family physician and president of the Caribbean College of Family Physicians; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.