By Angela Onwuzoo
The President, Federation of African Nutrition Societies, Professor Ngozi Nnam, has said people especially women who want to lose weight should stop consuming concoctions, warning that they could be injurious to health.
According to her, people that want to slim down should simply exercise and consume plant based foods.
Nnam, a professor of Community and Public Health Nutrition at the University of Nigeria, said there are too many concoctions sold in the market with false claims that they could help people to lose weight.
The nutritionist told PUNCH HealthWise during an interview that it is risky for people to consume concoctions to lose weight, stressing that the composition of these concoctions are unknown.
She said, “There are too many concoctions women carry about and sell in bottles. I don’t advise anybody to buy these concoctions because their production did not follow standard procedures from what we are seeing.
“People should avoid these concoctions, consuming them is risky. You don’t even know the composition.
‘People should exercise and consume more plant based foods. Plant foods help people to lose weight.”
Experts believe that exercise and diet management are the keys to weight loss.
The professor attributed less consumption of fruits and vegetables and poor involvement in physical activities as factors fuelling the increase in obesity and the burden of non-communicable diseases.
“We tend to eat more fatty foods. We eat too much meat with fats without adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables. That is why you see obesity on the increase.
“Obesity is the risk factor for most of the non-communicable diseases that are ravaging the world today like diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension.”
She noted that people who want to become slimmer should be involved in exercise such as jogging, brisk walking, stressing that brisk walk helps to shed accumulated fat .
According to her, engaging in physical activities is at no cost.
The nutritionist said she is not in support of the consumption of slimming tea for weight reduction.
“I don’t know what it contains”, she added.
The United States Food and Drug Administration does not recognise any slimming tea as being effective, according to Medical News Today.
The FDA indicates that users report symptoms similar to those seen in people with laxative abuse disorder, which include: cramping, nausea, diarrhoea, aggravate constipation, dependency, weakened colon, reduced potassium levels, which the agency notes is dangerous for people with heart problems.
The agency warns against the use of most dietary supplements, including slimming teas, mainly due to a lack of reliable studies and evidence of their safety or effectiveness.
Nnam said there is a need for a lot of nutrition education to enlighten people on proper dietary habits and also sensitise them about the risk of not engaging in regular physical activities.
The American Heart Association says science has linked being inactive and sitting too much with higher risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colon and lung cancers, and early death.
“It’s clear that being more active benefits everyone and helps us live longer, healthier lives.
“Being active lowers risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia and Alzheimer’s, several types of cancer, and some complications of pregnancy.
” Exercise brings about better sleep, including improvements in insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea, improves cognition, including memory, attention and processing speed ‘, the association said.
The World Health Organisation says physical activity has significant health benefits for hearts, bodies and minds.
WHO notes that physical activity contributes to preventing and managing noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes.
The UN health agency, however, said, “Globally, one in four adults do not meet the global recommended levels of physical activity.
“Up to five million deaths a year could be averted if the global population was more active.”
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