Childhood obesity and its link to the silent killer!

Headlines of All Africa. Com reveals the alarming proportions of childhood diabetes (the silent killer) as the direct correlation with obesity amongst Africa's children. Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Although the causes of diabetes remains ambiguous, childhood obesity is said to be the cause if this mystery.



Diseases that were at one time only associated with adults, are now becoming universal regardless of age. Diabetes, cardiac problems, and hypertension are now claiming even their youngest victims.

A report published by the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity states
that an estimated 22 million children worldwide below the age of five are
overweight.

Childhood obesity is generally occurs within the ages of five and six but does not discriminate towards adolescents. Children that weigh higher than normal should be a warning signal for parents to make necessary changes in diet and lifestyle.

Mrs. Margaret Atuahene, Nutritionist and PhD Candidate at the School of Public Health at a Ghana Health Service (GHS) proposes the greatest components of obesity is stemmed towards children's consumptions of food high in cholesterol coupled with a lack of exercise.

"These days they sit in front of television sets and play video games always. Now every room has a television and everybody is using the remote control instead of getting up to regulate TV."

She reports that Ghana is now beginning to see children diagnosed with type two diabetes, which years ago was limited to only adults, especially those whose fat level is so high . This in turn is posing a threat to Ghana's leaders of tomorrow.