Obese teens are just as likely to die prematurely as smokers, according to a recent study. But this comes as no surprise to me – did we not know this before? It seems to me that almost everyone knows the health complications that come with being obese: these include high blood pressure, diabetes, infertility, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, liver disease, gallbladder disease and cancer, to name a few. And of course, there are the emotional problems as well. Overeating is often associated with poor body image and low self-esteem. Continuous overeating usually reflects bad eating habits and unhealthy lifestyle, which in turn can lead to obesity. Many obese people I know are unhappy with themselves. So the cycle continues; overeating because of unhappiness, unhappiness because of overeating. Then comes the obesity, and along with it, all of the health risks. 

As for smokers, they know that smoking causes lung cancer and emphysema among other problems, but because of the addictive nature of smoking, many find it difficult to quit.
How do we help people? We make them listen. Yes, people do still smoke, but look at the progress that has been made. Smoking is no longer allowed in restaurants or other public buildings; cigarettes can no longer be sold in certain stores; there are ads all over television, the radio, even on subway trains warning of the risks of smoking. And try walking down the street smoking a cigarette – you will get as many dirty looks as if you were littering directly in front of a trash can. Progress is being made.
Now we just need to do the same thing with obesity.

First we need to get rid of the social stigma that goes with talking about a person’s weight. You would have no problem telling a smoker they were killing themselves, would you? Likewise, in the battle against obesity, it’s time to spread public awareness, start ad campaigns, make some public service announcements, do something! Every minute wasted is a life that could be saved. And that’s a weighty issue that we shouldn’t put a smokescreen around.

UP IN SMOKE

If current tobacco trends continue, an estimated 6.4 million current child smokers will eventually die prematurely from a smoking-related disease.