The University of Port Harcourt Teaching hospital’s Lifestyle Medicine center in championing the course of life style modification in disease management launched live culinary session for client and staff .
The culinary session was part of lifestyle medicine’s team approach in commemorating this year’s world obesity day, (marked 4th March) and a campaign to advance the course against obesity and the diseases associated with it. Report has it that obesity affect about 1.5 million persons in Nigerian, and a prediction of 1.9 billion to be affected in 2035, with the attendants medical risk/burden that impedes on the quality and span of life.
According to world obesity day publication “obesity occurs when a person’s body mass index is 30 or greater. The main symptom is excessive body fat, which increases the risk of serious health problem s”. The theme for this year “changing perspective: Lets talk about it”.
Director of UPTH Lifestyle Medicine Center, Dr. Obianma Onyia says the culinary session is targeted at exploring ways to make healthy meals ” to assist with skill set to make healthy diet and to make healthy nutrition part of your lifestyle, not just to fight obesity but the diseases that obesity exposes you to” as she addressed participants.
Whole food and plant based nutrition, non processed food/minimally processed food ( grain, oath, legumes, brown rice, vegetables, herbs and spices that can reduce salt and seasoning cubes in food) with low calorie content, but high in fiber and water content was recommended .
Dietitian Jacob-Eneojo Adenike and Favour took the participant through the preparatory steps of the plant based protein (Tofu-made from soya bean), plant based milk and healthy swallow from whole grains and vegetables, that appeals to the cultural adaptable meal for patients .
Questions were entertained with appropriate response to clear concerns and doubt of participant.
Dr. Onyia who is also an international certified
Lifestyle Medicine physician disclosed “obesity can be prevented, that is where we come in, lifestyle medicine is that medical specialty that concentrate with intervening lifestyle, behavioral change, evidence based lifestyle intervention aimed at treating or even reversing – if lifestyle caused it, lifestyle can cure it”.
While the campaign is also targeted at correcting misconceptions, one highlighted, is that of patronizing processed food which does not affirm social status but impedes on healthy living . Hence the call to take effective, and collective action against stigmatization and for obese persons to adopt healthy lifestyle especially in their dieting.
