Obesity and Eating in Islam

[bamalli]

  Obesity and Eating in Islam

"Eat and drink but not to excess" (7:32)

What is Obesity?

Obesity means having too much body fat. It is different from being overweight, which means weighing too much.

Both can occur over time when one eats more calories than one uses. Factors that may cause obesity are:

overeating
eating high-fat foods, high caloric, and/or high carbohydrates
sedentary lifestyle
poor sleep habits
poor stress management
lastly, genetics

Overeating vs 1/3 Eating

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) warned us about the dangers and health hazards of overeating.

He advised us to fill our stomach with: "1/3 food, 1/3 for drink, and 1/3 for air." (Hadith 1)

He also warned us about the perils of overeating. (Hadith 2)

Try to remember this general rule:
Eat to satisfy your hunger but not till you feel full .

Sleeping Well Fights Obesity

"And have appointed your sleep for repose. And have appointed the night as a cloak. And have appointed the day for livelihood" (78:9-11)

Studies have also shown that insulin sensitivity and levels of two appetite-related hormones -- leptin and ghrelin -- can be affected by sleep deprivation, which could impact weight. (Source 1)

Researchers say the less you sleep, the more likely you are to produce too much of a hormone that stimulates appetite -- and too little of a hormone that makes you feel full. (Source 2)


The Hazards of Obesity

"Do not cast yourselves into destruction by your own hands." (2:195)

Obesity has CONSEQUENCES: Increases risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, some cancers and other conditions.

BUT, If you are obese, losing even 5 to 10 percent of your weight can delay or prevent some of these diseases.


Obesity: Worldwide Epidemic

Obesity has become a serious issue worldwide and in many Muslim countries. It has genetic, emotional, psychological, health, economic, etc. implications (yes, literally on every aspect of life).

Now our own brothers and sisters in Muslim countries are suffering from it (even though many people are still in terrible poverty).

We need to remember the sunnah: food enough for two, that we feed three; and if there is food for three, we feed four people with it. (Hadith 3)


The statistics for obesity are staggering:

70% of Gulf Arab State females are considered obese
According to Economist: The top countries for the highest obese populations are Muslim Arab Countries: Lebanon, Gaza/Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait
More than 64% of American adults are overweight
50% of women aged 20 to 74 are overweight or obese in the US
11% of children are obese in the US
Obese pregnant women are more at risk of dying, suffering heart disease, miscarriage, diabetes, infections and blood clots.

How to Overcome Obesity

There are many ways to combat obesity. Here are a few guidelines:

Follow a middle way in eating and drinking.
Be physically active

Establish a regular sleep schedule: sleep at least 6-8 hours every night without waking up
Drink more water instead of soda, drinks with high-sugar, etc.
Make a support network to help you not turn to food during times of stress
Pray and meditation

Summary:

Body is a gift from Allah that we all must treat in the best way.
Eat to the point you are NOT hungry. Don't eat to the point of being full.
Eat smart, exercise, good sleep habits, and stress management.
Eating well helps decrease disease and cancer by 50%.

Need More Information?

Here are some helpful sites to learn more about obesity and how to lose weight.

MSNBC: Health & Diet: http://www.msnbc. msn.com/id /13594238
WebMD: Diet and Weight Loss: http://www.webmd. com/diet
Prevention: Diet and Fitness: http://www.preventi on.com
NIH: Obesity: http://www.nlm. nih.gov/medlinep lus/obesity. html

Even if one is not obese, please help those who are by forwarding this email to friends and family. Thank you. JazakumAllahu khairan!

Sources:

HADITH 1: On the authority of Al-Miqdaam ibn Maadiy-Karib who said: I heard the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying:
"No human ever filled a vessel worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of Adam are some morsels to keep his back straight. But if it must be, then one third for his food, one third for his drink and one third for his breath."
[Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasaa'I, Ibn Majah – Hadith sahih]


HADITH 2: On seeing a fat man, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said:
"If you did not have a paunch (belly fat), it would be better for you. He also said: Overeating does not go with good health."
[Al-Haythami]

HADITH 3: The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Food for one is enough for two and food for two is enough for three and food for three is enough for four."
[Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasaa'I, Ibn Majah – Hadith sahih]

Source 1: "Sleep More to Fight Obesity"
http://www.webmd. com/diet/ news/ 20041116/sleep- more-to-fight- obesity

Source 2: "Report Links Lack of Sleep and Obesity
http://www.npr. org/templates/ story/story. php?storyId= 4206263

[Abbas Bubakar El-ta'alu]

The first part of your post on "what Diabetes is" is interesting, and just like in any publication, explaining the matter at hand is always very important. I would like to only add the following:
       The increasing prevalence of obesity and its negative impact on overall health have promoted the study of factors (both genetic and environmental) that control weight gain. An excess of fat in the body occurs because there has not been a proportional decrease in food intake. When greater quantities of energy (in form of food) enter the body than are expended, the body weight increases. It is important, however, to realize that the body weight is relatively constant in both lean and obese individuals. Thus, obesity, as you mentioned in your post, does not indicate perpetual weight gain, but represents an equilibrium between caloric intake and energy expenditure that is achieved at an increased degree of adiposity. This relationship is described by the simple equation expressing the conservation of matter: Input=Output+Store. Obesity is, therefore, caused by energy intake in excess of energy output. For each 9.3 Calories of excess energy that enter the body, 1 gram of fat is stored.
         As a future medical doctor, your task must aim at not only to manage the diabetics, but also to educate the populace in all-round-valeological approaches to healthy ways of living, so that the simple equation (mentioned above) that expresses the conservation of matter, now becomes Store=Input-Output.

[gogannaka]

Nice contribution from Dr.

Is there a way to measure overweight and underweight?
What is like the best weight one could attain?

[Abbas Bubakar El-ta'alu]

Mallam Gogan naka!
                  All that you need is to follow what is herein:The Body Mass Index (BMI)

   The BMI is a number calculated from an individual's weight and height, which is used to determine whether a person is within, or outside of, a normal weight range. It was developed by the Belgian  polymath, Adolphe Quetelets, in the cause of working out his system of "social physics", between 1830 and 1850 (and is therefore, also known as Quetelet Index).
   Calculation of BMI is done by dividing the body weight (in kilograms) by the height (in meters squared), i.e. divide your weight (in kg) by your height (in m) and then divide by your height again. BMI=Wt (kg)/H (m).
   The Body Mass Index is just an indicator. The World Health Organization's criteria or system is simple, with round number and easy to use. They are known as BMI thresholds.


                         Table of Body Mass Index (BMI) Thresholds

                                   Condition               BMI in adults[/b]
                                   Underweight            < 18.5
                                   Normal (Ideal)          18.5 – 25
                                   Overweight               25 - 30
                                   Obese               30 or more

          
          The exact index values used to determine weight categories vary from authority to authority because of the impact of differences of races and ethnic groups. For example, a World Health Organization's technical group concluded, that people of Asiatic origin could be considered overweight with a BMI of just 23.
          Another reason for variation in the BMI system is, for example, muscular people may have a high Body Mass Index and not being overweight. BMI system is not applicable for children also.
          The BMI is a simple but objective anthropometric indicator of the nutritional status of the adult population and seems to be closely related to their food consumption levels. Data on weight and height from which BMI is easily derived can readily be incorporated into regional and national surveys. It could be used for the purpose of nutritional surveillance or for the purpose of monitoring, since this allows for interregional or inter-country comparisons, as well as longitudinal comparisons within the same region or country.
          The BMI is sensitive to socio-economic status and to seasonal fluctuations in food consumption, relative to the level of physical activity (Halls, 2004). It is a reasonably sensitive index of function and physical performance, and may be useful if development projects depend on the physical activity of the community.
          The deleterious consequences of a low BMI status in an adult are only now being recognized: there is considerable need to evaluate immune function, proneness to illness, morbidity and mortality in low BMI adults.
          There is also scope for evaluation of intervention strategies in a community using the BMI as a parameter of choice to identify individuals at risk. Further epidemiological research and anthropometric data and individual food consumption measurement are still necessary, especially in different socio-economic contexts. The percentage of false positives and false negatives needs to be assessed. However, there is a reason to believe the BMI is a simple, responsive, and useful index of nutritional status of the adult in a community and may indeed be a method of choice to assess the numbers of people who are undernourished worldwide.
                 If you are intereste in the BMI of some specific Nigerian ethnic groups, or/state, do contact Mal. Atiku of the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Bayero University, Kano-Nigeria. I am very sure- he will give a helping hand.

[gogannaka]

Thank you Doctor for the post.
I found the BMI to be very helpful...at least now i know i am underweight.
So now how do i gain the required weight in a manner that is medically safe?

[Fateez]

Yay!! A physiologist in the house! I'm a physiologist too :) What's your area of research??

I'm guessing Endocrine and possibly Renal Physiology from the posts above... ??? 8) ???

[Abbas Bubakar El-ta'alu]

Yeh!!!
       All the areas you made mention of are employed in my research, but I am going to specialise in normal and pathological conditions of the connective tissue. I am now undergoing my Ph.D program, and the topic therein is "Age-related peculiarities of connective tissue adaptation in response to mechanical stress". As you must have known, 'Biochemistry' is a language not only to pharmacology, but also to the medical sciences, and Physiology is inclussive. I therefore, use this language, at both molecular and sub-molecular levels, to elucidate the phenomena in the topic of my post-graduate research work.
                                       http://[color=blue]and%20you?[/color]

[Fateez]

Nice! I did a bit on connective tissue in general during my Anatomy days. It was interesting

but very very complex! Especially the histology aspect of it. Biochem just wasn't the thing for

me. I learnt what I had to and ran away fast. I really enjoyed it though, especially the nutrition

aspect. It started getting really complicated when we had to memorise the metabolic pathway!

how inhumane! At a point in my life the mere mention of the words citric acid or pyruvate made

me sweat...glad those days are gone!

Im mainly into Electrophysiology, focusing a lot on membrane transport and also Neurophysiology

focusing on auditory physiology. Did a bit on regeneration of the peripheral nervous system...fun stuff!

I'm not into research at the moment, would probably get back to it later, but now, I have tangented off

towards Pharmaco-physiology. 

[Abbas Bubakar El-ta'alu]

Hi Fateez!!!
              I hope you are doing fine. I read, with interest, of your progress, keep it up. May The Al-mighty Allah, The Most Graceous, The Most Merciful Help us, ameen.
               I would like to tell you one thing, and that is, no matter what you are pursuing, Electrophysiology, Pharmaco-physiology, Pharmacology proper, Anatomy, or any medical science, the fact remains so, that http://[color=green][b]biocheistry%20[/b]%20[/color] remains a language of elucidation in all of them. How on earth, for example, are you going to go through and even explain the pathology of a disease without going intoto into the micro- and macro composition of what make/s up the tissue, organ, or the psycho-somatic; somato-environmental causes of what is disturbing the patient/subject concerned? I therefore, advice you to be very much interested in the subject. You can at least be so, in the area that you are into.
            I hope to read more from you.
                                                     Wassalamu alaikum.