Murang’a County Health Department CEC Dr Fredrick K Mbugua has decried the numerous cases of lifestyle diseases in the county and called on the public to avoid sedentary lifestyles and embrace healthy food portions at all times.
The CEC observes that maintaining a healthy weight by exercising regularly, following a healthy diet and not smoking would keep lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease at bay.
“Lifestyle diseases are caused by people’s day to day habits, more so habits that detract people from physical activity and push them more towards a sedentary lifestyle,” he notes, adding that people no longer walk but rely on motorcycles even for very short distances.
“It is important to maintain a healthy weight by incorporating a work out activity in your daily routine even if it is just brisk walking,” he states
The medic urges parents to train and embrace healthy eating for children from a young age and replace junk food with healthy snacks because these unhealthy habits coupled with smoking, excessive alcohol intake are the leading causes of sedentary diseases which ultimately can lead to death.
“Excess consumption of starchy food results in build-up of more glucose in the blood which could subject the pancreases to malfunction and limit its ability to release insulin thus exposing one to the risk of contracting diabetes,” notes Mbugua.
A good balanced diet, he says, should contain less starch equating to 25 per cent, accompanied by a large quantity of greens and vegetables, at 50 per cent and 25 per cent of proteins.
Dr Mbugua further encourages people to switch to whole grains, more green leafy vegetables and try to strike a good health balance by taking less carbohydrates (starch) and filling their plate with legumes and fresh fruits.
Moreover, he warns that alcohol and nicotine cause severe damage to blood vessels which doubles the risk of atherosclerosis and blood clotting.
By Florence Kinyua
