A kilo up, a kilo down ... We watch with alarm the digits on the scales when they suggest that recently we ate more than usual. Or worse - if during the day immersed in the work, we forgot to eat and then caught up with a solid dinner. This food is stored as fat in our bodies and scales show alarming digits. A large number of people are overweight or fall into the category of the obese. Obesity is the killer of the century as additional kilos become a reason for a number of diseases. A healthy lifestyle that keeps us away from diseases, but which few contemporaries lead, became the focus of a discussion that took place in Sofia on May 28 - 31 within the framework of the 21st European Congress on Obesity.

In Bulgaria, according to experts, about two million people are overweight; one million more are obese. Compared to other nations Bulgaria places somewhere in the middle of the rankings. Globally, the citizens of the U.S. place at the top of the chart, as one third of them are obese. Latest figures show the about 23% of men and a bit over 24 percent of women over 18 in Bulgaria are obese. Figures do not include those who are overweight but have not reached yet the dangerous stage of obesity. When it comes to children - almost 18 per cent of Bulgarian children between 4 and 9 years are obese. Professor Sabina Zaharieva, head of the University Hospital of Endocrinology, says the main factor that leads to obesity is irrational diet and sedentary lifestyle. People these days eat 4 times more food than the body actually needs. If we add to this lack of movement – the path to the hospital is open.

"Obesity is the major risk factor for the development of metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. All this leads to higher mortality. That is why the battle against obesity must begin in early childhood. In endocrinology the metabolic syndrome and diabetes are major issues. The metabolic syndrome is a collection of risk factors for the cardiovascular system. Increased fat in the abdomen, hypertension, and hyperglycemia lead to development of diabetes and bring risks of cardiovascular diseases and myocardial infarction or stroke. "

In recent years, the incidence of diabetes has almost doubled, professor Sabina Zaharieva adds. Some ten or fifteen years ago, about four or five percent of the population suffered from this disease, while today the people affected are twice as much, which is a serious health and social problem. Experts say that the diet of the average Bulgarian is not rational. Instead of fruit and vegetables containing antioxidants, or fish and other seafood, Bulgarians focus on fatty meat. Bulgarians seem to like pastry, refined sugars and hydrogenated fats contained in chocolate and cakes. Results are clear if we added the habit of sitting in front of the TV after a long day at work behind the desk. It is okay to eat a slice of bread with every meal, experts say, but the goal is to feel that your body works as an oiled machine and you feel fresh and cheerful.

English: Alexander Markov