{UAH} Ministers, MPs told to watch their weight

Ministers, MPs told to watch their weight

• April 10, 2017
• Written by JOSEPHINE NAMULOKI

'90% of legislators are overweight'

Results of 320 ministers, MPs and parliamentary staff that tested for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) last week indicated that 90 per cent of them are overweight, with few of them in a state of morbid obesity that can lead to immediate death.

NCDs are often associated with older age groups, but evidence shows that 16 million of all deaths attributed to NCDs occur before the age of 70.
The four main types of NCDs, according to the World Health Organization, are: cardiovascular diseases (heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.

According to Mulago hospital senior consultant physician Dr Fredrick Nakwagala, one of the MPs tested on Tuesday was found to be weighing 145kg, a body mass index (BMI) that puts one in a state of morbid obesity.

"We had a few people with what we call morbid obesity. When you have morbid obesity, you are dangerously ill. You could die anytime," Nakwagala told The Observer on Thursday.

"I think the record breaker was the person who weighed 145kg on Tuesday and imagine he is a short person. This person is subject to death anytime from now," he added.

To determine how heavy people are, an index is used and that index is called the body mass index (BMI). Medics determine the BMI of someone by dividing their weight with the square of their height.

Parliament in session

Nakwagala explained that a person is said to be normal when their BMI is between 19 and 24. They are overweight when their BMI is between 25 and 29 while from 30 to 40, the person is said to be obese. Beyond 40, someone is morbidly obese, meaning they are at great risk of death.

The results also indicated that some parliamentary staff  who are less than 30 years of age had a body weight of up to 100kgs.

"It's a very scaring that a country that has not been having these problems related to being overweight is now having them. We now have problems of child obesity… sincerely, you are 24-years and you are weighing 101kgs! How many kilograms will you be at 30 or 40 years?" Nakwagala asked.

A person with high BMI can die any time because their index is too high that a lot of events can occur which can kill them and that they mostly die of heart failure, because the heart blood vessels suddenly get blocked by the fat (cholesterol) circulated in that blood and it's what is referred to as heart failure.

"They also die of stroke because the cholesterol will choke the vessels in the brain; so, when the blood vessels are blocked in the heart, you get heart failure and when the blood vessels are blocked in the brain, you get stroke and then those are the two main reasons why those people die," Nakwagala said.

"These morbid obesity people also get insulin resistance. Their insulin does not work because they have very high blood clot levels which we call diabetes and that also kills them very fast," he added.

The three-day testing for NCDs started on April 4. One is said to be overweight when they accumulate excessive fat which may impair their health.

WHAT OVERWEIGHT MEANS

Nakwagala also explained that overweight is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

She said the partial results of the ministers, MPs and parliamentary staff who had undergone the screening of NCDs, indicated that lest they (MPs and some parliamentary staff) change their diets, they are at risk of suffering from NCDs.

He attributed the MPs' rapid weight gain on poor feeding habits evidenced by the presence of junk food like chicken, chips and alcohol in the parliament canteen.

"For the three days I have been at parliament, I have observed that the canteen has junk food. I have also seen alcohol on their menu, which poses high health risks," Nakwagala said.

Nakwagala cautioned the ministers, MPs and parliament staff to always exercise and to carry out regular medical screening. He also told them to eat a balanced diet which is rich in fibre, green vegetables, low- cholesterol foods and protein if they are to survive longer.

Jacob Oulanyah, the deputy speaker, asked his fellow legislators not to let diseases, which can be avoided, to kill them as they pretend not to have time to exercise.

The three-day testing health camp held at parliament was conducted by the ministry of Health, Mulago hospital and Alere International, a civil society group.

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Gwokto La'Kitgum

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