Health expert gives a lecture on obesity • Doctor attributes weight problem to lack of physical activities, poor eating habits due to urbanization

A significant percentage of CNMI’s young population face health risks associated with sedentary lifestyle and improper nutrition, a health expert yesterday warned.

Referring to today’s youth as the “Coca-Cola” generation, Dr. Syed Abiri of the Commonwealth Health Center expressed concerns that young people both in the local and international scene spend an excessive amount of time in front of computers and television rather than engage in outdoor and physical activities.

During the second and final phase of the Teen/Parent Symposium yesterday, Dr. Abiri said risks associated with lack of physical activities and unhealthy diet among the CNMI population general due to the faithful adaptation of a western lifestyle.

“Fifty years ago, we had healthy-looking kids. Back then, people were used to the hard life and doing things manually,” said Dr. Abiri.

The absence of transportation vehicles also contributed to the indigenous people’s good health and fitness.

“There weren’t cars. Everyone walked to wherever they wanted to go,” he explained.

Twenty to 30 years later, the emergence of a more urban way of living has paved the way for a major transformations in body habits, according to the expert.

“People started to gain weight because they began consuming processed food like spam, cheese, Coke, iced tea,” he cited.

These foods coupled with lack of exercise, excessive eating habits, availability of easy transportation, beer, and parties created a lethal combination making people more susceptible to ailments and diseases.

Obese individuals especially among the youth, the doctor underscored, are more likely to acquire diabetes, a metabolic disorder marked by excessive discharge of urine and persistent thirst.

Dr. Abiri cited a study done on the CNMI youth a few years back which revealed that 30 percent of school-going kids are overweight.

“And there are lots of problems that goes along with being overweight such as the emotional issue, and they’re not much into physical activities for fear that they might be left out, and of course, there’s the health issue. Diabetes correlates with the degree of obesity and the duration of obesity,” said the expert.

The best prevention to developing the said ailment due to excessive weight among youths, according to Dr. Abiri, is through massive education and awareness campaign.

“Once the person and the parents are aware of the hazards of obesity, then they will start taking care of this problem very early in their lives,” he advised.

He added that parents should regularly consult with pediatricians to monitor their child’s ideal weight within a particular stage. (MM)