My junk food choices haunted me on the examination table

When you look and feel healthy, a body checkup can be the last thing on your mind. It is with that false sense of security that I walk into Dr Paul Kasenene’s office at Wellcare Health and Wellness in Bugolobi. Granted, I am clinically overweight and yes, I have a backache which I have been meaning to have a doctor look at for months but I am yet to get round to that.

Every once in a while, I take a leisurely 10 kilometre-walk, so I am confident of my health. In the examination room, my confidence vanishes and the old fear of being on the receiving end of a physical examination returns. It helps that Dr Kasenene is jovial, keeping the conversation going, by telling me the purpose of every gadget he picks.
But no smile can remove the glare of the consequences of being a junk food fiend. The readings of my body mass index (BMI), body fat, visceral fat (fat in the abdomen), and blood pressure are all high. In fact, my body age is 60.

Did you know that scientists have discovered that we have two ages – our actual birth age and our body age? The body age is determined by our diet, activity, stress levels, and lifestyle. My body is many years older than my actual age.
Suddenly, the feelings of constant fatigue and joint aches that I had conveniently forgotten pierce through the fog. Sometimes, I wake up feeling like an old woman, what with the back and joint aches! In short, I need to lose 20 kilogrammes to reach the ideal weight for my height.

The composition of a body checkup
A full body checkup helps us to understand our health status. According to Dr Kasenene, a specialist in nutritional, lifestyle, and functional medicine, the fact that many health challenges, such as chronic diseases, do not show physical symptoms in the early stages, makes checkups all the more important.

“A health checkup may involve a visit to a doctor but should not be confined to a series of tests,” Dr Kasenene says, continuing, “It should involve a candid talk with your doctor to understand your current medical challenges and anything in your life that could be risky to your health. The doctor will want to talk about your family history. For example, is there a risk for diabetes or hypertension in your family? If the risk is there, you are more likely to get the disease than other people who share your lifestyle.”

The tests you need
A biometric screening gives information about weight, height, BMI, visceral fat, body fat, blood pressure, blood sugar, and body age. “The body fat composition is more important than the BMI because someone can be technically obese when they have a normal weight. The body age is also important because it gives you an idea of how your body is functioning.”
A basic medical checkup, in terms of tests, would cost about Shs100,000, though a biometric checkup costs Shs250,000. The full body checkup, which includes cholesterol test, liver and kidney function test, and a complete blood count could cost between Shs800,000 to Shs1m.

A body checkup a year keeps you healthy. If someone is generally healthy, they should only have a checkup once a year. Dr Kasenene advises, “The first body checkup should be comprehensive so that on subsequent appointments, the doctor knows what to look for that is applicable to age, gender, and lifestyle. Some people require frequent checkups if they have issues with blood sugar, blood pressure or their lipid profiles or if conditions, such as, HIV or diabetes have compromised their immune systems.”

Why tests are critical
Though important, many people have a lax attitude towards body checks, but for different reasons. “Right now, we are seeing an unprecedented rise in chronic diseases, such as, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. With hypertension and diabetes, there may not be symptoms for the first five to 10 years. Sometimes, one may be unfortunate that the first sign of high blood pressure they get is a stroke. Yet, in most clinics, blood pressure test are free. People get blood clots every day and die suddenly. Others go into a coma after drinking a soda because their blood sugar is out of control.”

Other conditions, such as cancer only show symptoms after they have been in the body system for a long time. The results of a body checkup in your hands are a powerful weapon you can use to as motivation to become healthy again. The key is to remember that health is not about how you feel.

The most overlooked yet important areas
People tend to focus on weight and blood pressure, ignoring blood sugar and deficiencies in certain vitamins. According to Dr Kasenene, about 95 per cent of the people he interacts with have Vitamin D deficiency. “Surprisingly, this is the ‘sun vitamin’ yet health concerns such as loss of memory, hormonal imbalances, and heart issues may be due to its deficiency. Other checkups that people ignore are haemoglobin, iron, and magnesium levels, inflammatory markers, and liver function test.”

Hepatitis B is the disease one ignores at their peril. Fortunately, it can be prevented through vaccination. Cervical cancer and breast cancer screening and regular contact with a gynaecologist are very important. An HIV/Aids test is also important although many lack the courage to take it on their own volition.

The doctor also advises women who are 35 years and above to check their thyroid function. The thyroid gland, found at the base of the neck, produces hormones that regulate breathing, heart rate, body weight, menstrual cycles, body temperature, and cholesterol levels.
“At 35 years, the thyroid function begins to slow down, affecting metabolism. When metabolism is slow, a woman is likely to experience weight gain, fatigue, and challenges with the immune system.”

Without a body checkup, you might miss an opportunity to pick out something that would help you live a better lifestyle, make changes, and get some treatment. However, Dr Kasenene cautions against believing that a body checkup is an alternative to living a healthy life.

“If you check and there is nothing wrong with you, it does not mean you will not get a problem in the future. Health checkups do not help us to detect some conditions early. For instance, there is a point beyond which you cannot detect cancer.”

Staying fit in a fast paced world
Staying fit will always revolve around what we put into our bodies. Since the body is predominantly water, stay hydrated. “Drink a minimum of two litres of water per day. The best estimate is to get your weight and divide it by 30, then you will get to know the litres of water you need to take.”

Dr Kasenene advises that the key to healthy eating is to understand that we are primates. “Primates predominantly eat plant food so 90 per cent of what we eat should come from plants. We should eat a lot of food that occurs naturally, and is neither processed nor refined. For example, a raw mango is healthy food but processed mango juice is not; maize (kernels) is healthy while posho is not.”

Physical exercise is a foundation of healthy living, and the basic requirement is 30 minutes a day or two hours a week. It does not have to be strenuous.
You can take a walk or be active around your home, as long as your heart rate goes up and you sweat. Sleep and rest are also important.

Dr Kasenene’s tip

Get rid of or reduce the intake of these items to cause drastic change in your health.
•Sugar – both white and brown refined sugar
•Refined wheat – used in all colours of bread, chapattis, mandazi, samosas, pasta, pizza, and cake
•Margarine – a type of oil that has been solidified. It is toxic to the body.
•Processed meats – sausages, ham, salami, bacon
•Milk – is a type of food designed for calves, not human beings.