A healthy lifestyle is defined as a way of living that lowers the risk of being seriously ill or dying early. The World Health organization (WHO) defines, “Healthy lifestyle” as the aggregation of decisions by individuals which affect their health and over which they control. This means that our decision in regards to modifications is important, and failure to abide by these principles leads to premature death. Weight balance is among the ways people could achieve healthy living. In Rwanda, as is the case in most developing countries’ weight management is becoming a serious risk factor for most illnesses, especially Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, and others, in taking the lead in reducing the life expectancy of many. Gerald Luzindana, a Nutrition and Wellness expert says obesity is a condition in which abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in adipose tissue which impairs health. Why good nutrition matters According to nutritionist Joseph Uwiragiye from University Teaching Hospital (CHUK), good health begins with a good diet, and sometimes it’s the smallest of changes that are the easiest to implement first. A proper nutrition and lifestyle modification is the only path to achieving health goals. Luzindana says here it means a combination of more physical activity and a suitable nutrient-rich but energy-controlled diet is recommended for overweight/obese adults who wish to lose weight. In the same capacity, he notes that consuming the right portions at the right time is paramount for the desired weight to have equilibrium between gaining access weight and being underweight. “Owing to the increasing levels of obesity seen in both adults and children world-wide, strong strategies are needed to increase physical activity levels to match energy expenditure.” “Part of the needs for a healthy lifestyle, he says nutrition plays a significant role, today, people need different nutrient to maintain health and reduce the risk of diet-related disorder,” he says. According to Luzindana, it’s these nutrients that are called nutrition requirements and they vary between individuals and life stages. For instance, young adults below 25 years require more energy the adults above 50 years and women lose more minerals than men more so in childbearing years which means that even replacing or intentionally eating food-rich minerals is recommended. Meanwhile, he says a lot still needs to be done in making people aware of the dangers of inadequate nutrient intake as the world is battling lifestyle-related diseases and unprecedented infectious diseases like Covid-19. “The need for proper nutrition is eminent, with emphasis on dietary recommendation throughout the human life cycle, its only knowledge that we need to stay positive about new ways of living,” he urges. Besides, health experts note that seeking professional nutrition consultation from accredited institutions for guidance and assessment is something that needs to be given priority. This is so because it has been proven that its food makes us who we are and due to evidence of diseases linked to poor diet, this would serve to explain why.
