One of the major problems that our nation is currently facing, and that will come back to haunt us in the years to come, is that of obesity. Make no mistake – obesity is a medical condition in which the body accumulates excess fat that has negative effects on the health of the individual and possibly reduces life expectancy. It goes without saying that the side effects of obesity, and the increased health problems it creates, causes a decline in a person’s standard of living.
Fortunately, this disease has both a treatment and a cure. They are called ‘diet’ and ‘exercise’ and generally go hand-in-hand. Diets can easily be improved by paying some attention to the food we eat, whilst exercise will help reduce our weight.
What is really worrying, however, is that in recent decades there have been very few, if any, success stories anywhere in the world regarding obesity in terms of control and prevention.
When it comes to Malta, the situation is far from rosy. In fact, Malta has one of the highest levels of obesity in Western Europe in both adults and children. In this regard, it is high time that the government and individuals alike take action to prevent this disease.
The solutions are various. First and foremost, it is much easier to start tackling this problem from the roots. Parents have a duty to teach their children and educate them. Our younger generations should become more active. For instance, to beat the heat and at the same time stay active in the summer months, parents can take their children swimming more frequently. In winter, instead of letting children lie around on sofas, family outings to beaches or parks should be organised. Furthermore, to start pushing children to include exercise in their routine, family walks should provide a good alternative to watching TV after family dinners. And, last but not least, a very sincere appeal goes the parents who prepare food for their little ones: please cut out the junk food and sugary drinks and replace them with fruit and vegetables.
Secondly, from a public policy perspective, there is a lot policy-makers can do to help prevent obesity. This will reduce the future economic healthcare costs that are implied by the healthier population. I believe, for instance, that we can hit two birds with one stone by encouraging children to participate in extra-curricular activities involving sport after school hours. That way, children will be interacting with their peers and socialising, whilst parents, particularly mothers, could benefit from another measure that helps them join the labour market.
On a concluding note, I would like to appeal to those who are suffering from this disease to get the help they need from professionals and take action to prevent damage to their health, because when it comes to obesity, prevention is better than cure.
NB. To give credit where it is due, Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne has very recently announced measures such as gym membership at discounted prices to try and combat obesity. However there is still much to be desired. The key to success in this regard is to have a strategic roadmap and action plan to combat this disease with the collaboration of a number of stakeholders. And education is also critical in this field.
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