Doctor advises against alcohol as appetizers

Dr. Kingsley Osei-Kwakye, a Physician at the Manhyia Government Hospital, has cautioned against the habit of taking alcoholic beverages as appetizers before meals.

The act could result in binge eating – a huge health hazard, that could lead to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cancers and heart diseases.

Dr. Osei-Kwakye gave the warning when he addressed members of the Grace Baptist Church at Amakom, Kumasi, after they had gone on a health walk and engaged in aerobic exercises, lasting for two hours on Monday.

He expressed worry about the situation where lifestyle diseases, which were uncommon in Africa some time past, were now soaring and increasingly becoming a serious public health concern.

The programme was put together by the Church and M.Y. Caesar Company Limited, a Kumasi-based health foods and natural health products dealer.

Dr. Osei-Kwakye said, “excessive alcohol intake can cause diseases like liver cirrhosis, break down of the nervous system and road crashes with its accompanying fatalities”.

He therefore counseled people to avoid the intake of too much alcohol, eating too much of junk foods and eating late.

They should rather eat balanced diets and engage in regular physical exercises to stay healthy. Nana Yaw Amankwah, a football coach, led them in the aerobic exercises and advised them to exercise at least three times a week.