July 19, 2005

Health-wise, economic development has come to Asia as a double-edged sword. While economic prosperity and city-living have provided better educational and employment opportunities, these trends have also tended to displace features of traditional lifestyle that health professionals now realise were actually rather beneficial to health, for example regular physical activity and diets based on less energy-dense foods. One of the most visible consequences is escalating rates of overweight and obesity which are in turn resulting in rising rates of illness such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Scientific research has identified many factors that can contribute to the accumulation of excess body fat but currently there is no clear consensus on how important each of these is in influencing global overweight/obesity trends. In fact, it is likely that some factors are more important in some circumstances, than others, and as every one of us is unique, it also seems highly likely that some factors will be important for some individuals and other factors may be important for other individuals

AFIC has therefore brought together a complete collection of information resources which are intended to aid understanding of body weight management, and help individuals decide on the best personal strategy to manage their own individual body weight and achieve their individual health goals. For an overview of this new resource, and how to access the right information quickly, visit http://www.afic.org/WMWS/  and/or read on....

Urban shift
Today's city-dwellers need to exert considerably less physical energy in their daily lives, and have greater access to cheap sources of dietary energy (calories in food) than ever before. For example the hard toil of harvesting, drying and storing the rice crop, is replaced by shopping and carrying a bag of groceries home from the market. Lengthy meal preparation by the home-based womenfolk of the house is replaced by women and men working in sedentary jobs, and relying heavily on street food which is cheap and plentiful all over Asia.
Go to 'Metabolism – Achieving Energy Balance' for more information.

Easy Access to Plentiful Food Choices
Studies have suggested that environmental cues to eat (sight, smell and advertisements for food) play a role in whetting our appetite, even when we are full. The ready availability of food at reasonable prices has added environmental cues that encourage us to eat - cues that our grandparents were not subject to. For example, walk along any street in Asia and you would be bombarded by billboards, restaurants and street food sellers offering everything from fast-food to snacks and desserts that tempt even the most strong-willed. Food also plays an important role in emotional well-being for some, and a ready supply of 'comfort foods' can contribute to weight gain in times of stress.
See 'Dietary Fibre - An Essential Ally in Weight Management' for more information. Check out 'Appetite - Learning to Stay in Charge' for more information.

An Easier Life
Technology has also given us time-saving appliances that take aware the ardour of many household chores. What used to take hours of manual labour is now carried out with washing machines or vacuum cleaners. Many of us spend long sedentary hours at work to achieve financial security and meet society's demand for productivity. Unfortunately, long hours at work are perceived as a barrier to pursuing physically active leisure interests and instead TV viewing has become the most common leisure activity.
Try 'Get Moving' for some ideas to reverse this trend

Celebrations no Longer Restricted to High Days and Holidays
Greater income also enables us to indulge more in the Asian tradition of celebration with food. With more disposable income, we reward ourselves regularly with feasts that might have been annual events in our grandparents' time, and larger portions of rich energy-dense foods which were once served as luxury items in small quantities.
Read 'Size Matters - A Guide to Portion Sizes' for more details. Go to 'Asian Feasts' for more information.

Weighing Up the Choices
While no sector of society started out with an agenda of increasing overweight and obesity rates, our shifting lifestyles and diet choices have gradually allowed overweight and obesity to creep up on many.

Few are content to be overweight. Surveys find that almost all who are overweight or obese have tried or are trying to shed the extra weight, but many are not achieving their goals. Many of those who hope to reduce their weight are also confused about their optimal weight, the right approach and find it difficult to sustain weight loss.
Check out 'Am I Overweight? For a better understanding of healthy body weight'.

But all is not lost with the battle of the bulge. Being overweight need not be an automatic or unavoidable consequence of modern living. Many agencies, including governments, schools, health professionals and the food industry are now aware that obesity is a rising problem in Asia and are working together to address it.

We do know a great deal about what constitutes a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet does not mean total exclusion of any food group or food type from your diet. Instead of labeling foods as "good" or "bad," nutritionists most commonly advise there is a place for all foods in a healthy diet, provided some basic diet and lifestyle guidelines are used in shaping individual choices. The great variety of food in the urban, modern world actually provides unprecedented opportunities to achieve a healthy diet with wide variety of foods. However, this expanded choice available to so many of the current generations must be balanced by the principle of "everything in moderation", to avoid the pitfalls of excess consumption of specific foods, food groups or nutrients.

Remember also, that food should continue to be recognised according to traditional values, namely 'nourishment for the body and pleasure for the soul'. Studies have indicated that communities who view food as a source of sustenance and pleasure have lower levels of overweight, obesity and eating disorders than societies which place heavy emphasis on 'ideal' body forms and view food as primarily a source of good or poor health. Many studies also conclude that the solution to long term weight management is to find a long term eating pattern that is both enjoyable and in balance with energy expenditure, and that quick-fix diets intended for short term weight loss may actually be counter-productive.
Go to 'Miracle Diets' for more information.

Let's play!
Underpinning all efforts to promote healthy diets is the exhortation to increase physical activity. In the previous generation, physical activity was associated with work and was to be avoided as much as possible. In today's environment where the majority of the population is not involved in manual labour, our mind-set needs to change.

Getting into physical activity as play not only invigorates your body, it also energises your mind. And what better way to engage the younger generation, then to get involved in doing what they love best!
More ideas for encouraging active lifestyles and healthful eating habits in the younger generation can be found at 'Kids Corner' and 'Teenage Focus'.

For those of us who are now in a healthy weight range, increasing our physical activity by even the smallest bit has also been shown to pay huge dividends.

Bottom-line, while economic development and urbanisation may seem to have negative effects on our waist-line, it is not a battle lost. We have better choices and more information on how to achieve our ideal weight and to stay healthier, despite today's challenging environmental conditions.

Whether you are gaining weight, losing weight, stuck at a higher body weight than ideal, or unsure if your weight is OK, this collection of materials will provide you with a handy overview of target weight, how to achieve it, how to maintain it and why its so important. A 360°  overview of the causes of, and solutions for, weight management are just mouse click away. Visit http://www.afic.org/WMWS/ today, and find out what you can do to take charge and manage your own body weight more effectively!
More information on the health consequences of overweight can be found at 'Good Health'.