FOCUS ON BODY SIZE AND WEIGHT FOR UNDERSTANDING THE DIET-RELATED HEALTH ISSUES: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Over the past few decades, there has been a significant increase in the rates of obesity worldwide, and a concurrent upsurge of diet-related health issues such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Obesity is considered as a risk factor for morbidity and mortality related to a range of non-communicable diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, dyslipidaemia, gall bladder diseases and some cancers. The putative association of obesity with diet-related health issues has attracted much attention towards body size and weight.The global perception that obesity is a risk factor for chronic diseases has made body weight a key player in shaping up the understanding of dietary health concerns. This has led to reduction of bodily health and dietary health concerns to body weight and size while overlooking the social, economic, cultural, psychological, genetic and metabolic factors determining health. The available evidence from alternative ways of health promotion needs to be recognised and valued, and more research should be conducted in this area. It is also imperative to de-centre nutrition research from specific nutrients, and focus on understanding food within broader frameworks (e.g., food quality) in relation to body and bodily health.