Not a light matter

Pakistan ranked 9th out of 188 countries in terms of obesity. In Pakistan, obesity is rising in as alarming rate. Obesity is an illness in which large amount of fats is accumulated in one’s body and hence it is very hazardous to health. According to WHO, approximately 26 percent of women in Pakistan suffer from the problem of obesity while only 19 percent male are obese. According to research, if obesity continues to rise at the same pace, it would further reduce the life expectancy of the people of Pakistan. In our country one third of the adult population is obese. Moreover, a greater level of obesity has been observed in the elderly people as compared to adult people. Most people say that it is age related phenomenon but health problem also increase with age and obesity makes the situation worst.

The problem in Pakistan is that people take this issue very lightly. Approximately 52 percent of overweight and 73 percent of obese people have not even identified their problem and they think it is normal. People think it is symbol of health but they are not aware of the possible hazard to their health which can be caused by their excessive weight therefore they rarely try to lose weight. For Pakistan to progress it is important that awareness is created among the population regarding the harmful effect of weight gain.

Kiran Fatima

Islamabad