Obesity Rate Among Pakistani Children Doubled In Last 7 Years: PANAH President

President of Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) Major General (retd) Masood-ur-Rehman Kayani Thursday said obesity was a major cause of heart, diabetes, cancer and other diseases, and one of the major causes of obesity was the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Nov, 2021 ) :President of Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) Major General (retd) Masood-ur-Rehman Kayani Thursday said obesity was a major cause of heart, diabetes, cancer and other diseases, and one of the major causes of obesity was the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages.

"Choosing healthy foods protects us from deadly diseases, sugar sweetened beverages are not necessities of life, their increasing use is making our children, adults and women sick, the government should take effective measures to reduce the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages," he said while addressing a meeting of PANAH civil society.

PANAH General Secretary Sana Ullah Ghumman hosted the event.

Major General (retd) Muhammad Ashraf Khan, Dr. Abdul Qayyum, Squadron Leader Ghulam Abbas, Chairperson Afshan Tehseen Bajwa the National Commission on the Rights of the Child, Rukhsana Nazi, a large number of civil society participants attended the meeting.

Sana Ullah Ghumman, General Secretary and Director Operations of PANAH, said that last 37 years PANAH had been educating the people about deadly diseases including heart.

"Our goal is to be a part of a prosperous Pakistan. Our daily routine has negated healthy diet, walking, exercise.Non-communicable diseases continue to increase gradually," he added.

He said obesity was a major cause of heart, diabetes, cancer and other diseases, and one of the major causes of obesity was the consumption of Sugar Sweetened Beverages.

The Sugar Sweetened Beverages industry claims to pay Rs 72 billion in revenue. While Rs 428 billion is spent annually only on diseases related to obesity.

"We are misled, therefore this practice should be increased to reduce the consumption of Sugar Sweetened Beverages, which cause diseases, so that we can be protected from diseases," he said.

Chairperson National Commission on the Rights of the Child Afshan Tehseen Bajwa and Other civil society participants said that we all had to work for promoting healthy food. .