THE University of Ibadan (UI) has started a campus obesity campaign in honor of World Obesity Day in an effort to reduce overweight and obesity among its student body. According to a recent research, the percentage of overweight and obese students at the institution is 18.7% and 7.2% respectively.
Under-nutrition and overweight/obesity coexisted among the students in the study, “Temporal Trends in Overweight and Obesity and Chronic Disease Risks among Adolescents and Young Adults.
The lead researcher on obesity, Dr. Abayomi Oluwasanu, stated that dietary and lifestyle changes such as a rise in the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and fast food, persistent low intake of fruits and vegetables, lack of mindfulness when eating, eating late, and leading a sedentary lifestyle have all contributed to the global rise in overweight and obesity.
At the time of enrollment, 8.1% of the study population had hypertension, and 35% had pre-hypertension. Also, a higher percentage of students who were overweight or obese had prehypertension (45.9 percent), compared to normal and underweight students (35.6 percent).”
In order to address the issues of obesity to lower the prevalence of obesity-related disorders such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and hypertension, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Iowa, Professor Kayode Adebowale, and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Professor Peter Olapegba, urged all parties involved to look into the cultural characteristics that make people more likely to become obese, treating obesity as an institutional problem and that the recently established Campus Obesity Network will organize efforts to prevent and manage obesity and the dangers of non-communicable diseases it carries.
Professor Mayowa Owolabi, the director of the African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence for Non-Communicable Diseases has advised all on the need of increasing fruit and vegetable intake, engaging in physical activity, and leading a healthy lifestyle.
Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, the commissioner of health for Oyo State, had also urged Nigerians to live a healthy lifestyle by monitoring their blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight.