Two decades ago, in most of Africa, a potbelly was a status
symbol. It communicated affluence and class. Economic empowerment was
characterized by the ability to afford whatever gustatory delights one relished
without worrying about breaking the bank.
Mothers prided themselves in having chubby babies who topped
the scales at their well-baby clinics, who grew up into fat toddlers and
kindergarten kids. Husbands would proudly show off their well-taken care of
wives to their in-laws at family functions, standing at their side in
luminescent kentes and doll-heel shoes. The women would demurely smile with the
satisfaction of having attained the acceptable wife-material weight.
Fast-forward to the 21st century and you would be
amazed at how attitudes have changed. Muscle-packed flat tummies are the
in-thing and 36-24-36 hour-glass figures became much sought-after. Women will struggle to lose the
post-pregnancy weight and fit into the little black dress they wore during
their campus years. Men have shifted from beers to whiskeys on an effort to cut
down calories and maintain a semblance of a surf-board flat abdomen.
The image of men and women jogging around relatively affluent
neighbor-hoods early in the morning or late in the evenings is the norm rather
than the exception and is even used as a yardstick of the level of security of
the neighborhood.
The phrase: for you to be considered rich, you must be
able to afford to eat and grow fat but true wealth is when you can afford the
personal trainer to help you shed off all those unnecessary calories!
A trim and fit body is no longer the preserve of fitness
instructors. It is the hallmark of success in most middle-aged men. It is a
sign of economic empowerment for women in their thirties and forties along with
the Gucci handbag and six-inch Manolo Blahnik heels.
But over and above all the superficial intentions of weight
management, a new wave of health consciousness is sweeping the country. Every
chronic and debilitating lifestyle disease risk profile reads from the same
page, be it diabetes, hypertension, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease, stroke,
you name it. Obesity, sedentary lifestyle, refined foods, alcohol and smoking
appear on high on the list of each of these diseases.
Many people are taking notice of the doctors’ warnings and
are taking matters into their own hands. Gyms and health clubs are sprouting in
every neighborhood, as men, and women in their thirties and above flock in to
get healthy. Thousands of online food fads, diets, slimming teas and
self-proclaimed health gurus have sprouted all over, taking advantage of the
emerging market.
It is great that as Kenyans, we are changing direction for
the better. People now understand what familial predisposition means, how
important quality of life is and just how critical what goes into our mouths is
in determining out well-being. More indigenous food options are being sought
out in the markets and grocery stores and fast food restaurants are no longer
regarded as an option for date night.
Health and fitness clubs and support groups have come in to
fill the gap for those in need of a little push, such as one run by one Dr.
Esther Dindi (Doctor Fitness) on social media, coupled with personal
consultations. As a specialist physician and accredited fitness expert, she has
managed to bring together her knowledge and experience to give a wholesome and
fact-based support base for thousands of women and men in need of help to
achieve their goals.
But, as men and women, fathers and mothers, take the right
steps in avoiding the lifestyle diseases, it begs to question, where have they
left their children? Why do their pre-teen daughters look like their siblings?
Why are their 12-year old sons shopping in the adult section for clothes? Why
are paediatricians at a loss when prescribing medication because the
children’s’ weights are adult-sized?
It is amazing that a mom will sit at a fast-food restaurant
nibbling on a salad while her nine-year old ploughs through a whole chicken and
fries designed to feed a family of four and she smiles at his healthy appetite.
How domestic managers will cook two meals each night, one for the parents and
one for the children because they don’t eat murenda
and beans. That the breakfast table will be laid out buffet style to
accommodate the parents’ healthy choices and their children’s not so healthy
palates.
As a nation, we must stop this downward spiral. It is
unethical of us to continue shoveling death down our children’s throats. It is
not right for us to have obese, diabetic children in early teenage and assume
it is normal. It is not right that 19-year olds are nursing their hypertension and
osteoarthritis on the couch, playstation in hand, instead of being out there on
the basket-ball courts. Parents must desist from fostering sedentary lifestyles
for their kids in the name of love and expensive toys.
If you are affluent enough to afford a swimming pool in your
home, build it to secure your child’s future health, not as a show of your
worth in the bank. Show me an online weaning recipe from Europe that has mchicha and pumpkin leaves in the list
of ingredients! Moms need to stop being carried away by fads and teach healthy
eating to their children from infancy at the critical stage of weaning. Babies
know nothing about taste until you teach it to them. Teach them to eat managu and arrow roots and they will not
despise them in their teens.
And always remember, children are most impressionable when
they are below six. They will eat what you eat. So, watch your diet and make it
the family norm and you will not fight with them in teenage.
And as for teenagers and young adults, the time to start
living healthy is yesterday. Do not be fooled by a slight frame. It is not
equal to a healthy body. Get off the laptop and go work up a real sweat. At 70
years old, you will be grateful that you do not need someone to help you with
your ablutions in the toilet!
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