Tema-Ghana, Oct. 06, GNA – Dr Marc Kwame Dzradosi, Head of Pharmaceutical Services at the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) has revealed that obsese individuals have a high Body Mass Index (BMI) and are at a higher risk of dying young.
“Individuals who are obese (BMI > 30) have a 50 to 100 percent increased risk of premature death from all causes, compared to individuals with a healthy weight.
“They are more likely, than non-overweight children, to develop diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age, which in turn are associated with a higher chance of premature death and disability,” Dr Dzadosi stated.
Dr Dzradosi, who is also a Clinical Lecturer at the Central University and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) was speaking at the weekly “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility,” a Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office.
The initiative aims at promoting communication on health-related and setting the medium for the propagation of health information to influence personal health choices by improving health literacy.
“Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility! is a public health advocacy platform initiated by the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office to explore the parameters of the four approaches to health communication: informative, educating, persuasive and prompting.
Speaking on the topic: “Obesity”, Dr Dzradosi stated that cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and many others are prevalent among people who are obsessed as a result of an unhealthy diet.
Dr Dzradosi stated that excess weight could cause fat to accumulate in the artery walls, preventing blood passage to the brain and heart.
He also stated that preventing blood flow into the brain and heart resulted in sudden death, emphasising that people who discovered the illness early and had their fat unblocked still had some cells die permanently.
The IMaH Head of Pharmaceutical Services stressed that as a result of excess weight, the heart weakens over time, leaving it unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s requirements.
He stated that the symptoms varied depending on the type of disease contracted, and that those with hypertension could die silently if they were not checked.
Dr Dzradosi stated that those with diabetes had their sugar levels rising and could easily lose their lives if they were not monitored.
He stated that eating healthy and keeping good health were critical in avoiding heart diseases, which were the cause of millions of deaths on the continent.
He urged people to take their health seriously, go for regular checkups, and exercise on a regular basis in order to be healthy.
Mr Francis Ameyibor, Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Manager noted that issues of health are non-negotiable and appealed for concerted efforts to create a healthy lifestyle.
He stressed the need for collective responsibility toward fulfilling healthy living, saying, “you must be the first person to protect your health, let us be conscious of issues that may endanger our life work and people around us.”
Mr. Ameyibor said the GNA through the weekly health dialogue platform serves as an effective communication channel for health professionals to educate the public on healthy practices and other general health challenges.
