OVER the past several years edible oil has seeped into our diets like never before, making our diets an oily affair. The amount of oil in our diets has gone exceedingly beyond the desired levels. This is reflected in the rising cases of heart diseases. There is a strong correlation and association between the intake of oily foodstuff and the ever- increasing incidence of obesity.

The intake of fast foods and sweetened drinks has steeply gone up since the decades of the 60s and 70s. Likewise, the edible oil industry is flourishing but only at the cost of health in Asian countries.

The consumption of oil in Pakistan has touched the level of 22kg a person a year, which is a manifold increase in the last 30 years or so. The trend has already begun to ring alarm bells owing to its severe health implications in the form of cardiovascular complications.

Right now, four out of 10 people are overweight or obese. For a healthy body we must live with the mantra of eating more vegetables and less meat. It is never too late to start over. Selecting the right proportion and eating a balanced diet can go a long way in maintaining a healthy body and keeping diseases at bay.

Kaleem Ahmed

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2015

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