OBESITY related deaths have almost doubled in the past eight years according to recently published government statistics.
A total of sixty-four deaths were caused by obesity in 2016, just shy of a 50% increase since 2008. Over a quarter of adults in the North are now classed as obese and this has a significant impact on long term health.
In the past twelve months Deborah Creighton from Teemore has positively turned her life around after a ‘switch clicked’ in her head.
‘I had the equivalent of 50 bags of sugar on my joints when I was at my heaviest. I don’t know how my body was coping. I feel like I was a walking time bomb. I’m thirty five and I had tried everything before but in my head there was a wee switch that clicked.’
Since starting her weight loss journey in November Deborah has focused on the importance of food nutrition and feels that education is key to combating health issues like obesity.
‘The way that I prepare food has changed. We’re used to convenience now and everywhere we go there’s that handy option. For a lot of kids the food is just being put on the table and there is no understanding of why it is there. It helps learning nutritional values as you grow. It shouldn’t get to the point where you say, look I’ve put on a bit of weight here and I need to get it off. Children need to know from an earlier age what is ok to eat and understand the difference between fats.’
Most of us realise that we should be making lifestyle changes and opting for healthy foods, however, the cost of choosing to ditch the junk food may put a strain on some explains Michael Mowen from the Oak Healthy Living Centre, Lisnaskea.
‘In order to live a healthy lifestyle you have to have a certain income. People in lower income groups are affected worse and can’t always afford to buy fresh fruit and veg.
‘There’s a definite class divide in terms of health. In Fermanagh like other areas there seems to be a bit of a realisation that we need to look after our health better. On Sunday you’ll see people put cycling and a lot of villages have started initiatives like couch to 5k. I think it hits people in their thirties, that maybe in previous generations at that age didn’t get involved.’
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