About Coleus forskohlii

ForsLean® is a patented and clinically studied Coleus Forskohlii extract. Coleus forskohlii is considered to be the wild ancestor of all the tuber varieties, known as Kaffir Potatoes. It has several ethnomedicinal uses, which have been transmitted by word of mouth from generation to generation. Interestingly, the roots of the plant have a long history of food use in India in the form of pickle/condiment.

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Is Obesity an Epidemic?
According to the World Health Organization, from 1980 to 2016, the world’s population of obese people has more than doubled. The statistics show that, in 2014, 600 million adults and 42 million children were obese. However, obesity is a preventable problem. In addition to dietary and lifestyle changes, there is evidence to support the use of herbal extracts in the metabolism of lipids in the body. So why is obesity such an issue and is it a global epidemic?

Image and Fashion
Attitudes to body image have changed significantly throughout the years. During the 1960s and 1970s women in the media were slim and androgynous, adopting the fashion of the time. Men of that time were primarily manual workers; that is, exercise was implemented in their daily lives. All of this led to weight loss and maintenance but media influence and attitudes to body weight have fluctuated since these times.

Finance
Some of the responsibility for the rise in obesity is likely to lie with the emergence of cheaper convenience foods in the 1970s. The rise in incomes and cheaper food has led to an increase in food consumption worldwide according to a 2010 study. However, obesity now costs health services $2 trillion per year, almost the same as smoking according to WHO databases. By 2013, obesity levels had globally increased to 36.9% in men and 38% in women from 28.8% and 29.8% respectively in 1980.

Food
Attitudes to food have changed in the Western world in correlation with the changes in lifestyle and traditions. A report in the Biomedical Journal indicates that portion size has increased significantly since the 1950s. Decreasing portion sizes could reduce energy intake by 22-29% in US adults. The use of herbal supplements and vitamins has to take a larger role in our well-being to replace nutrient loss through poor diet.

Awareness
Many countries have a different stance on obesity. Family members being overweight has positive connotations in some Sub-Saharan populations for example, as this is a sign that the family is adequately provided for. Evidence suggests that it is a widespread issue that requires worldwide initiatives to be implemented for prevention and to save on the financial burden of obesity. Attitudes to food and health may need to be altered according to countries’ cultural values, which would require greater involvement of leaders in the medical and political fields – Jane Sandwood