OBESITY – THE DISEASE AND THE CURE
The chain of scientific discoveries that prove the truth of the noble prophet, peace be upon him, goes on…
Dear brothers and sisters in Allah, here is a group of scientific news
about obesity, the dangerous phenomenon that cost America 147 billion
Dollars yearly!! And from which millions die every year, the obesity
phenomena even had become a global crisis as important as the global financial crisis and has many bad effects and terrible
consequences…the solution is very simple which the Quran had summarized
in a part of a verse!
But before that, let us review the scientific news:
OBESITY COSTS AMERICA 147 BILLION DOLLARS
American researchers said that spent money on obesity related diseases
comprises 10% of the total medical expenses in the US, which is equal to 147 billion Dollars a year. According to a study published in the
Health Avenue Magazine, the total expenditure on obesity related issues
had doubled in less than 10 years.
Dr. Thomas Freden, the
director of the US centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says that it is very important to have effective actions immediately to decrease
the enormous burden on the country resulting from obesity. More than 26% of Americans are considered obese meaning that they have Body Mass
Index 30 or more (Body Mass Index BMI is measured by weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters).
OBESITY IS A MAJOR SOURCE OF CANCER
A famous scientist warned that the cancer incidence is increasing all
over the world in a dangerous way on humanity comparing to the climate
change phenomenon.
Professor Michael Marmout, the teacher of
Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of London, verified
that the prevalent obesity disease is a major causing factor of cancer
incidence.
The study concentrates on the cases of weight gain
and obesity which results in the incidence of about 14 thousand cases of cancer in Britain every year. It is also showed that third of these
cancer cases is coming from diet and lack of exercise. Experts advice
people to be slim and avoid having too much fast foods, red mead,
preserved meat, bacon, gammon in addition to alcohol.
Cancer
causes seven million people to die all over the world yearly according
to the latest estimates of the World Cancer Research Fund, and it is
expected to increase to more than ten million by 2020. This crisis
requires immediate action as the numbers are threatening all over the
world and cancer is considered the second causing factor of Death in
Britain after Heart Diseases.
In the other hand, a study in the last issue of “the epidemic of cancer” magazine revealed that obesity
doubles the incidence probability of bone marrow and blood cancer in old ladies, this study was conducted by a research team from Minnesota
University in the US.
OBESITY AFFECTS THE STRUCTRE AND THE FUNCTION OF THE HEART MUSCLE
Australian researchers verified that people suffering from obesity are
exposed to changes in the structure of the Heart muscle which affect its proper functioning, even if they did not have any heart disease. These
changes might lead to later fall in the heart.
Researchers from the Queens Land faculty of Medicine in Australia measured the speed and strength of the heart muscle stretching using updated version of Ultra
Sound waves technology in 142 persons noting that none of them had any
of Heart diseases, blood pressure or diabetes. Also none of them
suffered from symptoms that prove that there is congestion in the muscle of the heart. The average age of the participants was 44 years old.
The participants were classified into four groups according to their
weights. When comparing the heart muscle in people having appropriate
weight with the heart muscle in people having morbid obesity it was
verified that the blood pumping of the left ventricle of the heart in
obese people plus its ability to relax between two pumps were obviously
weaker. This complete relaxation allows the ventricle to be completely
filled in blood before it pumps the blood to the rest of the body
organs.
Dr. Thomas Marwick, who led the research team, said
that this study shows the direct relationship between obesity level and
the rate of dysfunction of the heart muscle apart from the other
causative factors that may affect heart muscle functioning like high or
low blood pressure.
The results of the participants’ heart
picturing before being exposed to ultrasound tests showed that the
pumping power of the heart muscle in each one of them is normal which
means that they do not suffer from heart failure. Nevertheless, the
study concluded that the limited or little structural or functional
changes caused in the heart muscle by obesity have effective relation to heart failure that can not be ignored.
OBESE CHILDREN LIVE SHORTER LIVER THAN THEIR PARENTS
Health experts warned that today’s children might not live longer than
their parents because of obesity. Those experts see that the expected
average of age may decrease for the first time since hundreds years if
the current situation goes on as expected.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper mentioned that quarter of the 5 years old children and more
than third of the 10 years old children suffer from over weight or
obesity. It is expected that the numbers of those children would rise
sharply in the coming few decades.
Dr. Colin Ware, the
president of the National Obesity Forum, says that we might be in front
of a generation who live shorter life than their parents, which is an
annoying probability. The greatest danger is represented in the second
type diabetes which we started to see in large numbers of teenagers as
we notice levels of incidence of heart diseases started to raise after
they remained declined for 30 decades. He also warned that the teenager
with type 2 diabetes might have decades not only years subtracted from
his expected lifetime.
The Health media estimates that half of
the people of Britain will medically suffer from obesity by 2050 and the health problems related to obesity will increase like diabetes, heart
diseases, and some types of cancer which will affect the expected age of those people. Doctors emphasize that the younger the obese, the much
less is his expected lifetime, and they say that this increment in
obesity is the first in hundreds years gone by!
DAILY ACTIVITIES, EMOTIONAL STRESS AND OBESITY
Researchers at Mayo Clinic in the USA discovered that people who spent
more time laying on the bed are more exposed to obesity whether they
exercised or not. They also concluded that regular attending of the gym
does not determine if the person is obese or slim but the daily normal
activities and emotional stresses may play greater role in this matter.
Dr. James Levin, the chairman of the researchers who conducted the
study, says: “I think that this study represents a glimmer of hope that
if we could raise our daily activity to a level similar to what was
before 50 years when obesity was not epidemic in the USA, we would be
able to lower the incidence of obesity”
David Jacobs, the
teacher at the Minnesota University, said that there is no easy answer
about obesity, as there are many factors contribute to this phenomenon
like over eating, he added that it is also important to find a way to
make the lazy potato eaters, active ones.
The study had found
out that the obese people who participated in the study were used to set for 150 minutes more than the thin participants which mean that they
burn daily 350 Kcal less than their counterparts. The study said that if the obese people do activities in the same way their thin counterparts
do, they will lose 15 kgs in a year without need to go to the gym.
ISLAMIC TEACHING AND OBESITY
Now, after we have reviewed the conclusions of the new western studies and found out the main causative factors of obesity are:
1. over eating and drinking
2. less exercise and activity
3. emotional stresses
These are main factors that cause obesity and consequently cause
dangerous disease like heart diseases, diabetes, blood pressure and
cancer. But what about the Islamic teachings which was revealed 1400
years ago?
Allah, the Almighty, had specified a golden rule in
diet as He said: ” and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance,
certainly He (Allâh) likes not Al-Musrifûn (those who waste by
extravagance)” (31:Al A’raf.). The most dangerous thing is extravagance
and as long as the person is moderate he will be at the safe side, this
is what stated by the western scientists!
Even, the prophet
Muhammad, peace be upon him, had given us a remarkable rule in diet
which explains Allah’s saying (but waste not by extravagance), he peace
be upon him says: (the son of Adam had filled a bowl not worse than a
belly! Enough for the son of Adam are small mouthfuls to stand him up,
but if he was beaten by himself then a third for the food, a third for
drink and a third for breath) (the right sequence 2265). The prophet
alienated his companions from overeating and said (the son of Adam had
not filled a bowl worse than a belly) in order to have in front of their sight while eating that this food might be harmful to them if they fill their bellies with it!
And this is a new scientific method to
which the psychiatrists gone today. As they alienated people from
overeating and connect this to the dangerous diseases like cancer and
other diseases as what we have seen in the previous studies. However,
the noble prophet used this method of teaching before the western
scientists by long centuries, what does this indicate?
Also,
the prophet peace be upon him, made the overeating as the disbelievers’
habits in order to get the people away from it. He, peace be upon him,
said: (the disbeliever eats in seven intestines and the believer eats in one intestine) (Al Bukhari and Muslim). The prophet seemed to guide to
lower food intake as much as possible in a hidden way (1: 7 parts). And
in deed the avid person can eat food seven folds greater than what his
body needs!
The second causative factor of obesity is emotional stresses, this was not overlooked by the prophet of mercy, peace be
upon him as he said repeatedly to the Bedouin seeking for advice: “do
not get angry..and repeated it many times”(Al Bukhari). Also the prophet considered the good manner as the heaviest thing in the one’s balance
at the Day of Judgment, he said: “there is nothing heavier in the
balance than the good manner” (narrated by Al Tarmithi).
But,
what about the daily activity which the scientists said that it a
crucial factor in the treatment of obesity? The prophet, peace be upon
him was the most active, moving and worshipper to Allah among people.
The prophet had summarized this in one golden rule and said: “shall I
guide you to doings by which Allah erase sins and raise grades” they
said yes prophet of Allah, he said: “do ablution thoroughly on offenses, more footsteps to masjids and waiting for prayer after prayer as that
is ArRabat” (narrated by Muslim).
Look with me at these daily
practices that the believer can not leave till he meet Allah, the
Almighty, the ablution is activity and cleanness, and the more footsteps to the masjid is the walking sport which the scientists consider as one of the best sports, and the prayer beside being a worship to Allah, it
is a group of movements that is very beneficial to the spinal cord,
heart muscle, belly and back, therefore, the life of the believer is
full of activity and laziness never exits.
So, the prophet,
peace be upon him, forbade overeating, also forbade anger, hatred,
negative thoughts and ordered activity, walking and praying.
And do not forget, my beloved readers, that these teachings were pointed to a group of people who were accustomed to fulfill their bellies with
food, moreover they were boasting in overeating as we knew from the life of ignorance era before the prophet delegation. Those people were also
extremely angry and feverish for the most trivial reasons; a war that
extended for 40 years was because of a camel!! The question here is that if the prophet wanted the power-as what the enemies of Islam
claimed-why should he order his people with new habits that they may not response to him!
And what would he gain from these teachings?
And why should he order them not to get angry and not to over eat…this
has no logic explanation except to believe that the prophet did not give anything of his own desire but it is a revelation from Allah, the
apostle, as he is the mercy bestowed upon us, and by Allah that if the
Godless people knew the greatness of this merciful prophet and the
strength of the teachings he came by, and if they were convinced with
these teachings, the science would progress by hundreds years!
The scientists, as we see, watch nights, make experiments, spend money
while they are lost and have no base or structure or light to guide them except what they see by their eyes and touch by their hands, and you
find them after hard studies which extends for long years reaching the
same results which the prophet of mercy had legislated! Isn’t that
sufficient evidence on the truth of Islam message?!
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