Is obesity a serious problem? How can we prevent it?

Obesity is a serious problem. It is one of the risk factors for coronary heart disease. It is also a component of the metabolic syndrome. Obesity also makes it more difficult for the blood pressure of a hypertensive individual to be controlled. Obese people have many other medical problems. One of these is a pulmonary problem called the Pickwickian syndrome. Persons with this medical problem often have asthma-like symptoms and experience easy fatigability and shortness of breath even when doing only light physical activities. Arthritis of the knees is another common condition among obese individuals. The knees are weight-bearing joints and in an obese person, the knees are usually the first joints affected because of the heavy weight that they must carry. Prevention for obesity must start during childhood. Children should be taught to refrain from fatty foods, to eat in moderation and to eat the right kind of foods. A fat child is not necessarily a healthy child. Another way to prevent obesity is to exercise daily. If this is not feasible, at least 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes of walking is a good way to start.