Health News of Saturday, 25 December 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2021-12-25After Christmas is your health, be conscious – Dietician advises
Dietician, Dr. Nana Ama Agyapong
Dr. Nana Ama Agyapong urges public to celebrate in moderation
Akufo-Addo advises Ghanaians to act responsibly during Christmas
GHS warns of surge in Omicron variant of COVID-19
A Dietitian with the Department of Food and Nutrition at the University of Education, Winneba, Dr. Nana Ama Agyapong, has advised the general public to be measured in the food and
Read full articleother assorted items they consume during the festive season.
Dr. Nana Ama Agyapong, in an interview with GhanaWeb, intimidated that recent data puts diet related chronic diseases as the leading cause of death globally, hence her admonition.
She thus stressed on the need for the public to celebrate in moderation while maintaining a healthy eating pattern.
“For the rest of the population, I will say that we are ending another year…it’s Christmas…everyone is happy but then we should all be conscious of our health. Now, diet related chronic diseases are the leading death globally and now when you look at the trends, not only is the death increasing but then the age of onset…at first, when people used to get diabetes, they were in their late 50’s and 60’s but now late 30’ and early 40’s people have diabetes, hypertension and these are conditions that they will have to manage it for the rest of their life.
"We will all enjoy but I will advise that we should be conscious that after Christmas is your health and work for you to do so we should all be conscious and celebrate in moderation,” she advised.
Dr. Nana Ama Agyapong also entreated persons battling with chronic ailment to resist the temptation of eating food products which could trigger their disease to worsen.
“The problem is for those who have chronic diseases not to get themselves into trouble. For instance, if you have diabetes and because its X’mas season, you want to take in sugary drinks when you know that it can raise your sugar level soo high …you want to take in a lot of fatty foods that contain high cholesterol, it can worsen your disease state within the [Christmas] period,” she warned.
She maintained that the post festive season records at hospital revealed that patients who were hitherto making progress in their various ailment derailed.
“During Christmas and festive seasons [especially Christmas] …a lot of food a lot of gifts a lot of merrymaking…after Christmas a lot of our patients would have relaxed ...as in their conditions would have gone worse…those who are diabetic, their sugar control will be that bad because of the festive season. That has been the trend.
"Even those who are managing their weight, most of them would have gained rather than lost. Prior to the festive season, they would have been losing weight consistently but then once Christmas and the festivities and the merrymaking and all the other things set in, they come back and they would have gained some kilos rather than losing,” she noted.
To this end, Dr. Nana Ama Agyapong has urged the public to maintain a keep fit schedule in order to curtail all disease nuances.
Meanwhile, the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his Christmas message has urged Ghanaians to act responsibly during the festive season as the COVID-19 pandemic is “still with us”.
