Unhealthy eating habits lead to rise in heart diseases among children, youth

Islamabad : The gradual increase in heart disease and its mortality among children and youth due to unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle is a worrisome tendency which can be avoided by making some basic changes in the overall daily routines.

This was stated by Surgeon General of Pakistan Army Lieutenant General Nigar Johar while speaking at a seminar on "World Heart Day" on Sunday. Executive Director (AFIC) Major General Farhan Tayyab and a large number of senior officers of the Pakistan Army, family members, PANAH seekers, medical experts and civil society representatives also attended the seminar.

Lieutenant General Nigar Johar said that Pakistan is our home and its protection is our responsibility which is only possible with educated and healthy society. He urged the general public to give up factors that are causing heart disease like tobacco, sweets, and greasy products that are used in daily life.

He said that it is unfortunate that every minute and a half, a person loses his life due to heart disease and called for an effective strategy to prevent the causes of heart disease, so that a healthy society can thrive.

Executive Director (AFIC) Major General Farhan Tayyab said that in the recent past, the mortality rate from infectious diseases such as hypertension, diabetes was very low but the situation gradually changed over time. “Simple foods were replaced by poultry foods, fresh juice was replaced by artificial drinks, walking or cycling users started using motorcycles and cars and playgrounds in educational institutions and streets disappeared which was replaced by TV and the Internet. The result is in front of everyone,” he said.

He said with the development, humans have neglected their health and heart disease, commonly known as heart attack, has become an epidemic. “To educate people about the causes and prevention of heart disease, Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) was formed in May 1984,” he said while talking about the establishment of PANAH.

President Panah Major General (r) Masood-ur-Rehman Kayani said that heart diseases have become the leading cause of death in Pakistan, which continues to rise at an alarming rate. “According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), one person dies from a heart attack every minute and a half.” He said that the first symptom of the disease in more than 50 per cent of patients is a heart attack. According to an analysis, 50 per cent of heart attack patients are between the ages of 45 and 50.

General Secretary Sanaullah Ghumman said that one of the major causes of heart disease is smoking, consumption of sugary and fatty products. By controlling smoking and other forms of tobacco, deaths from heart attacks in Pakistan can be reduced by up to 30 per cent. He said that regular use of cigarettes and sugary drinks reduce physical age.

“Therefore, we should make maximum use of natural foods, vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, milk, and freshwater, so that we can avoid life-threatening diseases, value life, and a healthy society can only be built by healthy people,” he said.

On this occasion, the participants appealed to the government to formulate an effective strategy to prevent the causes of heart disease.