Ask the local pharmacist for help if you are a bit overweight
The lockdown period has led to many of us eating and drinking more and doing less exercise. Here Raj Aggarwal, a community pharmacist and owner of central pharmacy Cardiff, offers his advice on achieving a healthier weight...
ACCORDING to data from Public Health Wales, obesity is a leading public health concern in Wales.
Almost a quarter of adults selfreport to be obese, an estimated 600,000 adults, while one in eight reception age children are obese.
High body mass index (BMI) is the largest identified contributor to years lived with disability (YLD), and the third leading cause of disability adjusted life years (DALYs).
Gaining weight is often a gradual process that takes place over a number of years and modern life doesn’t always make it easy.
This extra weight causes pressure to build up around vital organs, making it harder for the body to fight against diseases like cancer, heart disease and now Covid-19.
By reducing your weight within a healthy range, you can help cut your risk of being critically ill with the virus.
It’s recently been confirmed that people who are obese or “excessively” overweight are at an increased risk of serious complications and death from Covid-19. Nearly 8% of critically ill patients in intensive care units with the virus have been morbidly obese, compared with 2.9% of the general population.
This is now being taken so seriously that you will have seen on the news that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has unveiled a new obesity strategy aimed at helping individuals adopt a healthier lifestyle.
The strategy includes a ban on TV and online of adverts for food high in fat, sugar and salt before 9pm to try to reduce the exposure of younger people to unhealthy food.
The strategy also looks to end the “buy one get one free” deals on unhealthy food that often results in overbuying of food and then pressure to overeat to prevent food waste. Additionally, and in my opinion most importantly, there is to be a publicity campaign encouraging people to get active.
It might surprise you to know that your local pharmacy can help you lose weight, in a number of ways. Many pharmacies can provide advice on obesity, which includes support to change lifestyle behaviours.
The vast majority of pharmacies now have consultation rooms where you can have a private conversation with a member of the pharmacy team. From my point of view, it is about informing people and supporting them; it is not about lecturing people about how they should behave, which is nearly always counter-productive. Instead of guilt-tripping, we aim to raise awareness in individuals of health risks and possible solutions, and provide them with the motivation needed to reduce their health risks.
Weight loss, as with other health changes, has be to something the person wants to do and something they feel that they can achieve. Pharmacy staff can help by discussing realistic goals and giving encouragement.
According to NHS guidance, the best way to treat obesity is to eat a healthy reduced-calorie diet and exercise regularly.
It’s recommended that you should take up activities such as fast walking, jogging, swimming for 2.5-5 hours a week; and to eat slowly and avoid situations where you know you could be tempted to overeat.
It is however important to recognise that this is the end of the journey, not the first step, and every big journey starts with a few small steps.
If lifestyle changes alone do not help you lose weight, a medicine may be recommended, which works by reducing the amount of fat you absorb during digestion. Ask your pharmacist or your GP to find out what, if anything, is suitable for you.
My advice to my patients is not to become overwhelmed by the advice that is out there and do not be too ambitious, as this only leads to frustration and stopping doing what you need to do.
I suggest that you make three simple changes only, one change relating to the food you eat and the others relating to your level of activity and increasing water intake.
It could well be that you set off in the first few weeks by simply giving up snacking between meals and walking around the block each evening. When each of these is achieved and are part of your new lifestyle then and only then make the next two changes.
Nothing is off limits in terms of what people can ask their pharmacist about medicines, health or general wellbeing.
People can talk with the pharmacy team about weight, sexual health, alcohol use and many other topics they might have thought were are out of bounds in a pharmacy setting.
Over time, I believe pharmacies can be further developed into neighbourhood health and wellbeing centres, becoming the go-to destination for support, advice and resources on staying well and living independently.
Remember – your local pharmacy is much more than just a place to pick up pills. Reducing weight can also help in reduction in medication you take subject to a review.