Energy For a Cause 

What's the effect?

The effect is that we are living Physical inactive urban lifestyles and eating too much Ultra Processed food Products (UPPS) that are energy-dense but nutrient poor (UPPs). Obesity is the consequence of disrupted energy balance, which is maintained in the body through the coupling of energy intake and expenditure. Physical activity is a determinant of energy balance. To engage in an energy expense activity for a cause for 2 hours u spend between 2100 -4200 kJ of energy that could be stored in your body and lead to obesity, since obesity is disrupted energy balance in the body.

For the first time in history, more people are dying from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease than from communicable diseases like malaria and tuberculosis. This is a serious and growing problem that has not gotten the attention it deserves. NCDs kill nearly 41 million people each year in the world, many of them well under the age of 70. Only 1% of global health funding is dedicated to preventing and treating NCDs in low and middle income countries, where they account for nearly 67% of deaths. 

The South African Medical Journal indicates that the economic development of SA Depends in part on the health of its population. Addressing Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) epidemic is critical to virtuous cycle of improved public health outcomes and better economic growth. Decreasing the premature mortality from NCDs is now on the development agenda. The accumulated losses to SA GDP between 2006 and 2015 from diabetes, stroke, heart diseases, hypertension and CVD alone are estimated to cost the country US$ 1.88 billion. Employers face additional costs in the form of high staff turnover and absenteeism, because these conditions are not only the source morbidity but a leading cause of death in our working age population. Obese workers cost their employers 49% more in paid time off than their non-obese colleagues. Families of the deceased suffer catastrophic costs with two thirds of poor households being under-insured against funeral costs and are dependent on either a regular wage or a grant recipient.

By 2030 NCDs will account for five times as many deaths as communicable diseases in low and middle income countries. Preventing and postponing NCDs is more effective and considerably less costly than treatment of those who become sick . The World Health Organisation Assembly has agreed to aim to reduce premature deaths from NCDs by 25% in 2025. 

This strategy embraces six risk factors and their social determinants. 1. Tobacco use 2. Harmful alcohol use 3. Salt intake 4. Hypertension 5. Diabetes 6. Obesity. mortality in SA could be reduce by 20%, but more importantly premature disability and death could be significantly delayed. Globally, physical inactivity is estimated to cost $54 billion in direct health care, of which 57% is incurred by the public sector and an additional $14 billion is attributable to lost productivity. Estimates from both high as well as low and middle income countries (LMIC) indicate that between 2-3% of national health care expenditures are attributable to physical inactivity.

Failure to recognize and invest in physical activity as a priority within NCD prevention and treatment represents a missed opportunity. Ongoing inaction will see the costs of physical inactivity continue to rise, contributing to further negative impact on health systems, the environment, economic development, community well-being and quality of life for all. Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscle that requires energy expenditure. It can be undertaken in many different ways.