Overeating may cause hypertension, diabetes -Endocrinologist cautions

On Jul 17, 2023

A Consultant Endocrinologist and Physician at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Professor Olufemi Fasanmade has cautioned that people who overeat may come down with diabetes and hypertension. He advised people not to allow greed or the free food mentality to push them into unhealthy eating habits.

Speaking during an interview with newsmen, Prof. Fasanmade, who is a former President of the Endocrinology and Metabolism Society of Nigeria, revealed that overeating as an unhealthy practice that places a heavy burden on the vital organs of the body besides overstretching the capacity of the stomach.

He said: “Overeating can lead to plenty of fat in the liver, which is fatty liver. All of those things are what lead to diabetes and hypertension. Excess food leads to damage of all vital organs in the body. And over time, if you eat excessively, you will have a higher risk of cancer. Anybody that is overeating and does that every day wants to kill himself. Overeating is unhealthy. It will bring sickness. Every organ of the body suffers when you overeat. The heart, lungs, stomach and suffers. And if a person can’t sleep due to overeating, the brain will not be alert.”

Prof. Fasanmade said overeating occurs when someone consumes excess food that the body can utilize for energy or that is expended through physical activities or excretion. He pointed out that overeating is an unhealthy practice that comes with a lot of health problems

“If you overeat, you stand the risk of indigestion, which is the immediate risk, and you won’t be comfortable. An overfed child may vomit. But for adults, it is just mainly indigestion and abdominal pain. That is the immediate effect.It is the long-term effect that is obesity. If you overeat every day, the body has to store the excess and that will gradually lead to obesity, and then, plenty of fat in the blood, which is high cholesterol”, he added.

The endocrinologist also listed symptoms of overeating to include, an expanded stomach beyond normal size, discomfort, exhaustion, fatigue, sluggishness, drowsiness, heartburn and bloating. He urged people to eat in moderation and avoid diets that can make them demand more than is required.

Wumi/PUNCH