Weighing up to obesity

I wish to start by asking you this: if you walk to your high street to find a place to eat, what ‘restaurants’ come to mind? The answer is simple–the likes of McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King and other fast food outlets are dominating the markets not only in the modern world but in third world countries. One may classify this privilege to be able to consume such food as a luxurious commodity but it seems now there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the costs of eating a high fat and cholesterol diet significantly surpluses the benefits.

From an Islamic perspective it is said to avoid exceeding limits. One must therefore consider the notion of a balanced nutritional diet, which encompasses the daily activities of a human and their stage in life. An adolescent will require more food than an elderly person due to their social, physical and biological development. This further provides reason as to why Muslims fast, especially during the month of Ramadan, to establish the respect that needs to be given to food.

A lack of clean and nutritional food can lead to malnutrition and starvation as seen by many third-world countries. Hence, when food is readily available and abundant it is important to ensure that sufficient quality food is consumed as per the body’s requirements.

It doesn’t take a doctor to list all the medical complications that may arise due to the overwhelming consumption of fast-food leading to obesity. The WHO predicts there will be 2.3 billion overweight adults in the world by 2015 and more than 700 million of them will be obese. Fast-food outlets are not the only cause. Other causes include an increase of convenience foods, labour-saving devices, motorised transport and more sedentary occupations. Childhood obesity is another growing concern as not only will it put a burden on the health services but it can provide many ethical dilemmas.

Sure, everywhere you look, the problem of obesity is highlighted. There doesn’t seem to be a ‘cure’ for an ever-increasing technologically advanced world leading to a sedentary lifestyle. One must RESPECT food and only on occasion, when you’ve been ‘a good little boy’, treat yourself with a nice fatty burger.