The Tribune

By Dr Monique Thompson

I DO not know if this is good or bad news, but this is the last and final article on tackling obesity. Scouts’ honour. So far we have touched on economics, education and culture in the past two articles. In this final week we look at how lifestyle choices and personal factors can contribute to obesity.

Looking at lifestyle choices, we touched on our cultural foods last week. Without belabouring that topic again, we need to adopt better culinary habits. Second, many of us are highly stressed.

One of the stress hormones our bodies produce is called cortisol. This hormone has specifically been linked to the accumulation of fat in the midsection. Plainly stated, that is belly fat.

The physical effects of stress in contributing to obesity is further compounded because many of us are sedentary. We’re not just couch potatoes; we are buttered and salted couch potatoes. Many of us do not take the time to exercise, which is continually proven to be detrimental to our health. And you know what I find amazing with advances in society? We have all these technological devices that were meant to make our lives easier and free up some time in our daily routine, and yet with all these advances we still do not have 30 minutes in the day to exercise.

For example, microwaves, washing machines, cars, frozen meals and fast food chains etc were designed to make life easier and save time and energy in some capacity, and yet we still do not have enough hours in the day. So what is the issue people?

We simply do not make exercising a priority. I can speculate as to why this is but I believe in part that we seriously do not understand how essential exercise is in having and maintaining good health. In tackling obesity, we must build exercise into our lifestyles three to five times per week for 30 minutes. This is one of the healthiest things you can do to combat obesity and its deleterious effects.

Personally, factors that can contribute to obesity include your genetic make-up, age, medications, and existing medical conditions. It is important to identify which of these factors are relevant to you so that you can understand your risks and be proactive in preventing, stopping, or reversing obesity. If your parents were always overweight, from childhood you never lost your “baby-fat,” or regardless of how well you eat, you continue to be overweight, it is likely that you are battling genetics. Up to a certain age, the older you are, the easier it is to gain weight and the harder it is to lose it. This is partly due to a decreased rate of metabolism. Most women say that kicks in around the age of 30. Medications that can directly and indirectly contribute to obesity include birth-control pills, antidepressants, corticosteroids such as prednisone, medications used to lower blood pressure, and anti-seizure medications. Common medical conditions that lead to weight gain are hormonal disorders such as hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder, alcoholic liver disease, and pregnancy (acknowledging that this is not a disease) are just a few examples.

In closing, and with all that was said over the past few weeks, I want you to know that you can counteract most risk factors of obesity through education, diet, exercise, and addressing some of the lifestyle and behavioural changes that were discussed. Resolving obesity is not a quick fix, and it takes intentional, long-term effort. However, combating obesity is more than possible, and worth our time and energy.

• Dr Monique Thompson is the founder of Cornerstone Healing Institute, an integrative family medicine clinic that focuses on educating patients on healthier lifestyles and preventing disease. Contact 356-0083 with any questions/comments. Visit www.chibahamas.com for more information.