NO illness or condition has forced me to lose weight, says UPND vice-president Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba.

Mwamba alias GBM in an interview said he wanted to be fit and ready for any election that might come as he wanted to be healthier than other candidates.

He said he had managed to lose over 32 kilogrammes using food selection alone and now he was using exercises to be ‘fitter’.

“I eat right, I am mindful of what I eat. This has not been a small achievement. Last year I did say officially to the country through the media that I had gone on diet. I just wanted to shed, lose weight. I feel it’s healthy because each time I went to see a family doctor in South Africa, he always talked about my weight. I have chosen to be slimmer than I was not because of anything but by choice,” GBM said.

“It was nothing to do with any form of illness except as a doctor, he foresaw that sooner rather than later I may suffer from hypertension and what-have-you, though I have never had hypertension, all I had was high cholesterol levels and since I lost weight, cholesterol has faded away, not even a trace of hypertension or BP as it is mostly known, I don’t suffer from any of those things at all.”

Mwamba added that he was going to the gym five times a week.

“My doctor told me that once I come to a level where I think I want to maintain, I was at 147 kilogrammes, I am now at 115 kilos, which means I have lost 32 kilogrammes in the last one year six months because of food only. The doctor told me that I should now go for keep fit, that I should be fit, that is why you have noticed that I go to the gym every now and then, I go in at least five times in a week just to keep fit and off course to be ready for the next general election which is coming very soon so that I am fitter than most of these so-called candidates that you are going to see on the ballot,” said GBM.

The World Health Organisation has endorsed regular exercise as a means of achieving long-term health.

Studies show that appropriate physical activity might be a valuable tool in therapeutic regimens for the control and amelioration (rehabilitation) of cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, hypertension, congenital heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, musculoskeletal disorders, end-stage renal disease, stress, anxiety and depression, etc.

Several studies have been conducted on the use of exercise in the treatment of hypertension and the the control of body weight.

President Edgar Lungu has also taken to regular exercises in a weekend programme aimed at exposing awareness of keep-fit and passing it on to others.

“It is a matter of concern that one out four people die of cancer, high blood pressure commonly known as BP, diabetes and other related illness due to lack of physical exercises, “ President Lungu said after a jogging exercise.

He encouraged all Zambians to not only visit medical experts so as to know their alignments, but to spare their time doing exercises, such as jogging.

“ I also encourage communities to form training clubs such as neighborhood clubs, playing football, tennis and at least walking so that Zambia can have healthier people to steer the desired development,“ said President Lungu.

Credit: The Mast