Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 7, 1 July 2006 — WEIGHT CONTROL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WEIGHT CONTROL

a key issue for a healthy Hawaiian nation

'Ōpū Pala'ai "Pumpkin Stomach" (Said in ridicule of one with a larse, protrudins abdomen.)

Are you overweight? Are you fat? Have you looked in the mirror or stepped on a scale recently? If you are avoiding recognition of a weight problem, you are not alone. Many who know they are overweight put off making lifestyle changes to correct the situation and improve their heahh. Others look around and see many who are even heavier, so choose to take no action. Is it impolite to discuss being too fat? Actually, concern for Hawaiian health is both timely and critical. During this shifting paradigm toward self-gov-emanee and sovereignty, taking control of our Hawaiian health destiny is a vital step. We need leaders who are healthy and robust, demonstrating stamina and alertness. However, the truth is that we are becoming more and more dependent on

daily medications beginning as teenagers. We need to be concerned about the latest Hawai'i data (2004) that show 71.3 percent of Hawaiians are overweight (Body Mass Index over 25), and of those 40 percent are very overweight (BMI greater than 30). This means that in a statis-

tical family of five, one member would be fat, perhaps very fat. That is a lot, and any group photograph of Hawaiians verifies these statistics. Are we worse than others? Sadly, we are. State figures show about half (52.8 percent) of Hawai'i residents are overweight. Of those, 21 percent are very overweight or obese. Nationally, recent data (2002) show that 65 percent of all U.S. adults are either overweight or obese, a 16-percent increase in ten years. In April, we discussed the growing number of overweight and obese children in the U.S., including Hawaiian youngsters. So, more Americans are fat and Hawaiian statistics are worse ... significantly worse. Why should we worry about being overweight or obese? We know that being overweight causes heahh problems, such as high blood pressure, high eholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, heart

problems, stroke, gall bladder disease, arthritis, sleep-disturb-ing apnea, breathing problems, and joint and back problems, as well as some cancers. Not many years ago, these problems were considered "old age" problems. Today, however, it is not unusual for Hawaiian teenagers to be suffering from these negative health conditions. Early aging in future leaders is not a good thing for the budding Hawaiian nation. We need to worry and take action. We need healthy leaders for a healthy Hawaiian lāhui. How does one lose weight? It is all about finding a balanee between physical activity and food, or keeping calories eaten lower than energy output. Control calories by cutting back on portion size and choosing food wisely. Use either a threemeal or six-small-meal pattern. Children from birth through 6th grade need a nutritious six-meal

pattern. Eat lots and lots of vegetables, fresh or steamed. Eat lean protein foods, with preferred ehoiees being fish and skinless turkey and ehieken. Fatty or fried meats are never good choices. Limit sweets. Drink water instead of soda or sweetened juice-drinks. And, depending on age, children need between two to four cups of lower-fat milk eaeh day. Eat poi, taro, sweet potatoes, 'ulu, whole-grain bread, cereal and brown rice. An equally important step is working exercise into our daily routine. If you cannot get to the gym, then walk stairwells and walk to get errands done during the workday - and wear athletic walking shoes. If you wonder what early Hawaiians thought about being overweight, the 'ōlelo no'eau at the top tells us clearly that it was a trait our ancestors did not admire. H

OLAKINO • YDUR HEALĪH

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH„ R.D.