(Health Bulletin)
Obesity is an epidemic in the world. Our high technology - computer, cars, washing machine, elevators, television, videogame - that reduces physical exertion and of course we eat a lot.And the implication obesity related to serious health problems. In the oil and gas industry, we are dealing the high rate of obesity/overweight and high cholesterol.
Some part of Africa and Asia even in Indonesia in urban area, the overweight afflict than malnutrition. In Shanghai, roads once filled with pedestrians and cyclists are now congested with cars. An fast food restaurant opened a drive-through restaurant in Beijing , with more to come. Fast food restaurant now is available on almost all cities in Indonesia including Balikpapan. Indonesia healthy food is shifting to fast food ‘westernized’ diet.
Defining overweight ?
Overweight and obesity is defined in terms of Body Mass Index or BMI.
It is your weight in kilogram divided by square of your height in meters ( metrics ).
BMI = _______weight in kgs._______
height in meters X height in meters
Exp : 100 kg for 1.75 meters
BMI = 32.65
•A normal BMI is between 18 and 24.9 . Overweight 25 -29.9. A BMI equal to or above 30 defines obesity. The higher the BMI, the greater the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The health problem.
The health risk of being overweight or obese are : heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes,hypertension, gall stones and arthritis.
The first law of fat says that anything you eat beyond your immediate need for energy converts to fat, a calorie is a calorie, whether it comes from fat, protein or carbohydrate(including sugar).The second law : the line between being in and out of energy is slight, a few extra calorie can mean significant weight gain.
Fat.
Excessive fat deposits on liver, colon, joints, underneath skinfold tissue.
Foods contain either bad fat (saturated) or good fat (unsaturated).
Saturated fats
Saturated fats are found mostly in foods of animal origin such as:
• whole milk dairy products: butter, cream, milk, , cheese.
• meats: pork, lamb, and beef,
• eggs (the egg yolk is very rich in cholesterol).
Saturated fats are also found in tropical oils such as coconut oil, palm oil.
The Good Fats or Unsaturated fats
They have on the contrary, little cholesterol and therefore provoke much less arteriosclerosis. Their cardiovascular risk is therefore very low. Eskimos, who eat mostly a fish diet, have one of the world's lowest heart attack rates. Unsaturated fats, which can be divided into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated are found in : fish, vegetable fats and oils derivated from the following cultures:olive,peanut, soybean, corn and sunflower.
In terms of calories 10 grams of butter = 10 grams of margarine = 9 calories However, butter comes from milk (therefore animal fat = saturated fat), whereas margarine comes from vegetable fat, therefore unsaturated fat. This explains why margarine is healthier than butter for the heart and blood vessels.
Cholesterol - What is it?
Cholesterol is one of many fats existing in the body. It is insoluble in water just like all other fats.The cholesterol level is often people's major concern after a blood test. But cholesterol is essential for life ! We could not live or function without cholesterol. Cholesterol is essential in all human cells to produce what we call the cell membrane. It is vital in the synthesis of hormones such as cortisol,testosterone, oestrogen and progesterone as well as the production of vitamins such as vitamin D.The body can obtain cholesterol either externally, through food intake under the form of fat (saturated or unsaturated) or internally, through its own liver production.
Good cholesterol ? Bad cholesterol ?
Three types of cholesterol are found circulating in the blood:
• LDL= low density lipoprotein
• VLDL=very low density lipoprotein
• HDL=high density lipoprotein
LDL and VLDL are artery clogging cholesterol.
HDL cholesterol on the other hand, amazingly enough, decreases the risk of arteriosclerosis and actually protects from heart disease and stroke by cleansing the arteries of fatty deposits.
The more HDL cholesterol you have, the better ! An increase in the HDL cholesterol or a decrease in the LDL and /or VLDL cholesterol will both reduce cardiovascular risk.The good cholesterol is decreased and the bad cholesterol increased by: stress, smoking, excess weight, obesity, eating saturated fats.
Triglycerides are derived from sugar and alcohol. Alcohol is nothing more than fermented sugar. In the liver, alcohol and excess sugar are transformed into triglycerides. In case of important energetic needs such as extreme cold or strenuous efforts, triglycerides will be re-transformed into sugar by the liver when needed. Triglyceride related to obesity , usually a fat person has high triglyceride blood level ( sometimes normal ) and this fat deposits in skinfold.
Recommendation : maintain a healthy weight ( normal BMI ), eat right foods ( reduce fat ), reduce sugar,
reduce salt, drink plenty of water, stop smoking, do a regular physical activity ( better aerobic exercise ).
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