• Society

Cardiologist Warns Against Excessive Consumption of Sugar, Salt and Calories

• By Isa Rohany
• December 25, 2023 12:45 PM

SIEM REAP – Sok Chour, a heart specialist with the Ministry of Health, reminds citizens that eating foods containing too much sugar, salt and calories is the main cause of cardiovascular disease and non-communicable diseases.

Non-communicable diseases are illnesses that are not spread by infection or through other people, but are generally caused by unhealthy behaviors. They represent a threat to health and development, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where dietary habits are changing rapidly.

Sok Chour, a cardiologist, said such diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, caused by excess fat, diabetes and cancer.

The international diabetes federation reported that 463 million people between the ages of 20 and 79 worldwide had diabetes in 2019. By 2045, the number of people with diabetes will reach 700 million, accounting for 10.9 percent of the world's population.

The rise in obesity is particularly widespread in developing countries, which are rich in fast-food-type processed foods. 

“Another thing is that excess fat is a very dangerous factor for heart disease. In particular, it can cause occlusion of the most important arteries, such as the cerebral artery,” Chour said. 

Among the Cambodian population, those who are overweight are more at risk, so the ministry is very cautious about preventing these non-communicable diseases.

A total of nearly 100 doctors providing health services in Siem Reap, both in public and private institutions, participated in a workshop on improving the treatment of obesity. The workshop was organized by the Cambodian Heart Association in collaboration with Siem Reap’s provincial health department.

Siem Reap Provincial Health Department Director Kros Sarath said that participants received training from experts to better treat the causes of obesity and the various associated heart diseases.

As a cardiologist, Sok Chour provided recommendations to people to avoid or prevent obesity and non-communicable diseases. Chour advised not to eat food that contains too much sugar, salt, and fat, and to try to avoid fast food restaurants as much as possible. 

Instead, he encouraged people to eat vegetables and fruits and to exercise at least 30 minutes every day, calling for such recommendations to be widely spread to children in schools.

 

Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this article was translated by Nhor Sokhoeurn for Cambodianess.