Opinion
Checking The Tendencies Of Overweight
One aspect of living
that is actually taking some tolls from humans, but yet to attract the much needed attention or emphasis as to its negative tendencies is the issue of overweight. Although writers may have dropped one or two lines on matters of overweight, yet much is to be showcased as concerning its devastating activities on its victims.
From time to time, the public is being exposed to jingles and adverts on ravaging ailments; the way and how to go about their containments, this of course does not go without huge financial involvement. Why? Because, it is believed that no amont of money spent in maintaining life is worth the life itself. Hence, no matter the cost, the importance of maintaining a healthy living cannot be over emphasised.
Over times, most women and ladies had thought that one way to gain the public’s approval of their look is by appearing robust and weighty. To achieve this, many have undertaken some forms of feeding regime that could facilitate an eventual robust posture, a dieting programme which no doubt emphasises foods high in carbohydrate and starch. Ofcourse junk foods, soft drinks and candies coupled with a lifestyle devoid of physical exercise, can only bring about a hasty invitation to overweight.
Perhaps, it should be told that overweight is not a form of beauty and cannot be considered a mechanism for attraction to would-be admirers. It is rather about having more body fat than is optimally healthy, which is most often facilitated by self administration of appetite boosters leaving its users hungry and drowsy.
Globally, excess weight has reached epidemic proportion, studies have shown that more than one billion adults were either overweight or robust in 2003 and in 2013, the number increased to more than two billion across all ages. With no check in place, you can imagine what the number would be in this 2015. Meanwhile, research indicates that it has the danger of hampering the agility of the brain.
Be that as it may, it is obvious that no sane human would want to be overweight, but from a wish for a little boost, arises the possibility for an unguarded touch, giving room for the unexpected. What is needful is an outright overhaul of our mentality and attitude towards our natural look.
The holy Bible presents the human being as a perfect creation of the most high. Hence, the need to let people know that there is a reason for their respective and peculiar looks has become imperative. Human attempts at boosting their physiques have left much to be desired. It has caused more harm than good, as some have not only turned overweight, but have in addition, incurred some health challenges. Why? The quest to look good and attractive.
Apart from the obvious physical discomfort and ailments that accompany overweight, there can also be a deep-seated-psychological trauma, usually characterised by a pervading sense of low-esteem, insecurity or inferiority complex that many overweight have to contend with.
Going by the fact that once the mistake is made it is difficult to reverse, it becomes necessary to view this craze-to-be-fat syndrome as an anomaly that needs to be corrected and possibly nibbed in the bud.
The use of enlightenment campaigns, or any other form of public education that could be effective at reaching the grassroots, especially the women and girls can be of help in this regard.
They need to be told that from age 40, there is a greater tendency to become overweight at the slightest provocation which ofcourse parades some medical implications. This is largely due to the fact that from age 40, the digestive system slows down leaving the body no less likely to engage in any physical activity that would encourage speedy burning of fat.
Diseases such as heart-related cases, high blood pressure, frequent muscular pains and spasm, diabetes, boneache etc are cases associated with overweight.
Although some cases of overweight have been linked to genetical inheritance, or to the agitation of some hormones due to child birth the arousal of our conscieousness towards the danger of two-much fat in the body is very important.
Whether it is a natural factor or self inflicted one, looking out for the signs of overweight and administering its antidotes in good time will go a long way in checking it.
For people between 50 and 60, adopting and maintaining healthy habits such as staying off oily foods, alcohol, sugary foods and fried foods is advisable. Foods should rather be grilled, boiled or steamed instead of being fried.
Without mincing words, a healthy body requires a minimum amount of fat for proper functioning of the hormonal, reproductive and immune systems as thermal insulation, as shock absorption for sensitive areas and as energy for future use. The accumulation of two-much storage fat can impair movement, flexibility and even alter the appearance of the body.
Therefore, since “prevention “is said to be better than cure,” why not maintain a good eating habit and exercise regularly for a healthy living?
Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi
The events that unfolded in Abuja on Tuesday November 11, 2025 between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike and a detachment of soldiers guarding a disputed property, led by Adams Yerima, a commissioned Naval Officer, may go down as one of the defining images of Nigeria’s democratic contradictions. It was not merely a quarrel over land. It was a confrontation between civil authority and the military legacy that still hovers over our national life.
Nyesom Wike, fiery and fearless as always, was seen on video exchanging words with a uniformed officer who refused to grant him passage to inspect a parcel of land alleged to have been illegally acquired. The minister’s voice rose, his temper flared, and the soldier, too, stood his ground, insisting on his own authority. Around them, aides, security men, and bystanders watched, stunned, as two embodiments of the Nigerian state clashed in the open.
The images spread fast, igniting debates across drawing rooms, beer parlours, and social media platforms. Some hailed Wike for standing up to military arrogance; others scolded him for perceived disrespect to the armed forces. Yet beneath the noise lies a deeper question about what sort of society we are building and whether power in Nigeria truly understands the limits of its own reach.
It is tragic that, more than two decades into civil rule, the relationship between the civilian arm of government and the military remains fragile and poorly understood. The presence of soldiers in a land dispute between private individuals and the city administration is, by all civic standards, an aberration. It recalls a dark era when might was right, and uniforms conferred immunity against accountability.
Wike’s anger, even if fiery, was rooted in a legitimate concern: that no individual, however connected or retired, should deploy the military to protect personal interests. That sentiment echoes the fundamental democratic creed that the law is supreme, not personalities. If his passion overshot decorum, it was perhaps a reflection of a nation weary of impunity.
On the other hand, the soldier in question is a symbol of another truth: that discipline, respect for order, and duty to hierarchy are ingrained in our armed forces. He may have been caught between conflicting instructions one from his superiors, another from a civilian minister exercising his lawful authority. The confusion points not to personal failure but to institutional dysfunction.
It is, therefore, simplistic to turn the incident into a morality play of good versus evil.
*********”**** What happened was an institutional embarrassment. Both men represented facets of the same failing system a polity still learning how to reconcile authority with civility, law with loyalty, and service with restraint.
In fairness, Wike has shown himself as a man of uncommon courage. Whether in Rivers State or at the FCTA, he does not shy away from confrontation. Yet courage without composure often feeds misunderstanding. A public officer must always be the cooler head, even when provoked, because the power of example outweighs the satisfaction of winning an argument.
Conversely, soldiers, too, must be reminded that their uniforms do not place them above civilian oversight. The military exists to defend the nation, not to enforce property claims or intimidate lawful authorities. Their participation in purely civil matters corrodes the image of the institution and erodes public trust.
One cannot overlook the irony: in a country where kidnappers roam highways and bandits sack villages, armed men are posted to guard contested land in the capital. It reflects misplaced priorities and distorted values. The Nigerian soldier, trained to defend sovereignty, should not be drawn into private or bureaucratic tussles.
Sycophancy remains the greatest ailment of our political culture. Many of those who now cheer one side or the other do so not out of conviction but out of convenience. Tomorrow they will switch allegiance. True patriotism lies not in defending personalities but in defending principles. A people enslaved by flattery cannot nurture a culture of justice.
The Nigerian elite must learn to submit to the same laws that govern the poor. When big men fence off public land and use connections to shield their interests, they mock the very constitution they swore to uphold. The FCT, as the mirror of national order, must not become a jungle where only the powerful can build.
The lesson for Wike himself is also clear: power is best exercised with calmness. The weight of his office demands more than bravery; it demands statesmanship. To lead is not merely to command, but to persuade — even those who resist your authority.
Equally, the lesson for the armed forces is that professionalism shines brightest in restraint. Obedience to illegal orders is not loyalty; it is complicity. The soldier who stands on the side of justice protects both his honour and the dignity of his uniform.
The Presidency, too, must see this episode as a wake-up call to clarify institutional boundaries. If soldiers can be drawn into civil enforcement without authorization, then our democracy remains at risk of subtle militarization. The constitution must speak louder than confusion.
The Nigerian public deserves better than spectacles of ego. We crave leaders who rise above emotion and officers who respect civilian supremacy. Our children must not inherit a nation where authority means shouting matches and intimidation in public glare.
Every democracy matures through such tests. What matters is whether we learn the right lessons. The British once had generals who defied parliament; the Americans once fought over states’ rights; Nigeria, too, must pass through her own growing pains but with humility, not hubris.
If the confrontation has stirred discomfort, then perhaps it has done the nation some good. It forces a conversation long overdue: Who truly owns the state — the citizen or the powerful? Can we build a Nigeria where institutions, not individuals, define our destiny?
As the dust settles, both the FCTA and the military hierarchy must conduct impartial investigations. The truth must be established — not to shame anyone, but to restore order. Where laws were broken, consequences must follow. Where misunderstandings occurred, apologies must be offered.
Let the rule of law triumph over the rule of impulse. Let civility triumph over confrontation. Let governance return to the path of dialogue and procedure.
Nigeria cannot continue to oscillate between civilian bravado and military arrogance. Both impulses spring from the same insecurity — the fear of losing control. True leadership lies in the ability to trust institutions to do their work without coercion.
Those who witnessed the clash saw a drama of two gladiators. One in starched khaki, one in well-cut suit. Both proud, both unyielding. But a nation cannot be built on stubbornness; it must be built on understanding. Power, when it meets power, should produce order, not chaos.
We must resist the temptation to glorify temper. Governance is not warfare; it is stewardship. The citizen watches, the world observes, and history records. How we handle moments like this will define our collective maturity.
The confrontation may have ended without violence, but it left deep questions in the national conscience. When men of authority quarrel in the open, institutions tremble. The people, once again, become spectators in a theatre of misplaced pride.
It is time for all who hold office — civilian or military — to remember that they serve under the same flag. That flag is neither khaki nor political colour; it is green-white-green, and it demands humility.
No victor, no vanquish only a lesson for a nation still learning to govern itself with dignity.
By; King Onunwor
