THIS refers to the letter ‘Teen obesity: some remedies’ (March 6, 2013) which I read with great interest. The writer has rightly pointed to a serious health problem not only in Pakistan but worldwide.

Dr Graham Simpson of Eternity Medicine, Las Vegas, USA, writes in his book “Wellman”: “Nearly 20 per cent of children are now overweight. For the first time in human history children may have a shorter life expectancy than their parents because of obesity-related diseases. Being overweight is the primarily disease risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in children has increased twenty-five times since 1950. In fact, a child born today will have one in three chances of developing diabetes. Thirty per cent of obese children have metabolic syndrome.”

Regarding the cause, he further writes: “The excess weight largely results from the increased consumption of junk food consisting chiefly of refined sugars, high glycemic carbohydrates and trans-fats (hydrogenated oils found in processed foods). The solution apart from exercise lies in a proper diet and the best diet recommended by experts is “the Paleo diet”, which is the original human diet consistent with our genetic requirement.”

A good reference in this regard is “The Paleo Solution” by Robb Wolf.

Hundreds of articles on “The Paleo diet” can be accessed and downloaded from the Internet.

We have a responsibility to make sure our children do not suffer from diseases and problems which are entirely preventable.

DR ZUBAIR MIRZA Eternity Medicine Institute Karachi