Stay fit to keep doctors away

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KUCHING: Obesity is one of the most serious health problems facing the people today, and Malaysians must wake up to this reality.

Being grossly overweight is the precursor to a lot of diseases, like diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis on the knees, gallbladder ailments, and even cancer, cautioned Dr Annuar Rapaee, Assistant Minister of Science Research and Biotechnology, yesterday.

“It can also cause heart disease and a lot of other diseases that can claim lives,” he said at the launching of World Heart Day 2016 at Samajaya Nature Reserve (Stutong Park) here yesterday.

The event was officiated at by Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Dr Annuar, who is the event’s organising chairman, said annually, heart disease claimed about 17.3 million lives globally, and the figure was expected to soar to 23 million per year by 2030.

“Just imagine, about 23 million people dying of heart disease every year. It means about two million people will die per month because of this. Heart disease is actually a modifiable disease, meaning a disease that is treatable and preventable. It is related to our lifestyle.”

The body mass index (BMI) can be used to determine obesity, he said. If the reading is more than 25, it means the person being measured is overweight. If the figure is 30, the person is considered obese.

“Let us calculate our BMI today and make sure the BMI is less than 25.”

Dr Annuar, who is also Sarawak Heart Foundation Board of Trustees member, said the foundation would continue to educate the people about heart disease and the need to lead healthy lifestyles.

Meanwhile, Taib, who heads the Sarawak Heart Foundation Board of Trustees, noted how changes in lifestyles, particularly of those who stay in urban areas, had affected their health.

“We no longer walk like the people from longhouses or farms to meet friends that are 100 yards away from our ‘bilik’. This shows we have changed our ways of life. No doubt this change of life is brought about by prosperity,” he said.

But he cautioned that the comfort that came with being prosperous would become a liability of sorts when people abandoned those activities that they needed to stay healthy.

“We must understand that our health begins with our activities. There must be a balance between what we do for our muscles, physical parts of our body, and our brain,” he said, and urged the people to walk at least three miles a day to stay fit.

“We should try to keep our health intact, and one of the best and most convenient ways is to walk, walk and walk. This is the best way for us to keep our health, instead of only talk, talk and talk.”

Meanwhile, it was announced at the event that Malaysian Buddhist Association Sarawak branch chairman Datuk Dr Tay Chin Kin had contributed RM20,000 to Sarawak Heart Foundation.

Among those present were Taib’s wife, Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi Taib, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Assistant Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and Tupong assemblyman Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman.