Expert Blames Overweight On Poor Diet

A medical expert has

blamed overweight on the inability of  individuals to eat right, saying that 1.5 billion persons globally above the age of  20 years   are overweight.

A University don, Prof. Anele Ihekwaba, clinical sciences, Department of Medicine, University of Port Harcourt, (UNIPORT), who made this known in the 80th lecture of the University’s Inaugural Lecture Series, held at the Ebitimi Banigo Hall of  the school Prof. Ihekwaba who is of the Clinical  Services, Medical Department of Medicine, University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), also said, of this number, 200 million were men while 300 million were women and pointed out the dangers of this developments to the proper function of the liver, which he described as the power house of the body.

Prof  Ihekwaba, said the river is the largest organ in the body which helps to metabolise catabolise, detoxify synthesis and transport substances through the blood to other parts of the body, stating that damage to the Liver could lead to grave consequences.

Speaking on the topic, Eat Right, Live Right That Your Liver Will Be Right” the clinician listed life styles which are likely to affect the liver to include excessive alcohol and drug use, eating poor quality and excessive fatty foods and multiple sexual relationships and warned that eating organ meat such as skin (Kpomo), stomach (shaki), intestine (roundabout), kidney, liver and heart should be avoided as these contribute high fat to the diet which leads to obesity.

He stated that the ideal weight is a balance between energy intake and expenditure and may lead to liver disease.

According to him, “gluttonous eating without adequate exercise will result in obesity which in turn will cause fatty liver whose natural history results in hepatitis, chronic liver disease and in some instances to liver cancer.”

He said eating the right quality and quantity and reduction in alcohol and drug use  would help keep body weight in control of thereby reducing liver diseases.

He further said, far reaching solutions to the problem include, education of patients, mass immunisation and screening, national policy formulations, training of man power and disease surveillance could lead to a reduction in liver diseases and cancer, lamented that presently, treatment is expensive and long lasting.

In his remarks, the vice chancellor of the University, Prof Joseph Ajenyika, applauded the lecturer, describing the inaugural lecture as an intellectual harvest and stated that every professor must  look forward to it, since it happens once in a life time.

He stated that it was scholars that generate knowledge and urged other professors to pay attention to global events to ensure that “we are counted when it comes to the time to take stock of those who have contributed to the development of the economy and the world in general.”

He advised that “life evolves around the liver and so we must care for our liver, we need to change our life style to enjoy good health.”

Tonye Nria-Dappa