 LONDON, DEC 16: The delicious Indian snack of 'samosa' has reached such popularity and gastronomic heights in Britain that doctors have now issued a warning: samosas can kill -- and that's official.Such is the degree of consumption that it has led to a worrying increase in diabetes and heart disease in cities with large Asian population such as Leicester, Slough, Birmingham and London.
The traditional food, along with other tasty morsels from the sub-continent such as pakora and bhajis, are so packed with fat they are causing major health problems for the community.
The situation is so bad in Birmingham that health chiefs are visiting the city's Sikh temples to issues warnings and offer on the spot health checks.
Diabetes among the city's Sikhs is now three times higher than within the white European population, while heart disease is one-and-a-half times more prevalent.
Rishpal Chana, an Aston-based health visitor for Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust, has found that nearly a third of those weighed and checked in the Sikh gurdwaras need immediate help from a general practitioner.
"Samosas are one of the worst foods you can eat and I am trying to get people to eat less of them or cook them with olive oil instead of ghee," she said.
"The Asian diet is very fattening because a lot of the food is fried in this way, yet people don't realise just how bad for you they are."
Rishpal said just one samosa had 25 grams of fat, the same as a large slab of butter. Blood pressure and blood sugar tests are being offered in the temples on Sundays when they are at their busiest.
Further sessions are taking place until June at temples including Moseley Road, Moseley; Silver Road, Handsworth; Stratford Road, Sparkhill; and Graham Street, Hockley.
Meanwhile, an illegal dye, Sudan 1, has been found in samosas and other products distributed by a Birmingham company.
Although the products have been withdrawn from sale, officials have warned there is a risk people might still have some in their freezers.
(IANS)
|
