CHAPTER ONE
1.0    Introduction
1.1     Background of the Study
          The number of people with high blood pressure is in the increase and research has shown that this condition is heightened by overweight of the patient. That is to say, the more one increases in weight, the higher the tendency of him or her becoming hypertensive. Mori TA (2007).
          In essence, there is a symbolic relationship between being over-weight and being hypertensive or having high blood pressure. It is in the interest of people who are likely to develop high blood pressure (over-weight people) to seek out ways of managing their weight, as this research work will try to bring out the effects of weight on such people with high blood pressure. What seems unresolved here is the extent to which weight affect people suffering from high blood pressure. Many writers’ views will be examined in the cause of this work to help resolve the issue at stake.
          Over-weight here will be described or rather defined based on a calculation called “Body mass index” (BMI). According to this formular, one is regarded as over-weight if his BMI is greater than 25. Mancia G. (2007). High  blood pressure on the other hand occurs when one’s blood move through the arteries at a higher speed than normal. It is also known that for now there is no cure for high blood pressure. Papadakis A, Macphere J. (2008).
          The seriousness of this adult illness (high blood pressure) is not just that it can lead to more serious illness or complications, raises the risk of stroke, kidney failure, heart disease and heart attack. The matter is made worse with the existence of too much weight or fat in the body as this tends to make the condition severe.
          It is the duty of stakeholders in health sectors to keep the adult folk aware of the implication of over-weight by providing them with accurate, timely and up to date information regarding this health condition. It is also the duty of health personnel to warn and educate adults who are more prone to high blood pressure, about the dangers of over-weight in the management of high blood pressure. This awareness is expected to affect the feeding habit of these people, since it has been observed that poor feeding (that is, poor combination of the classes of food, not necessarily the quantity) is one of the causes of over-weight. Sacks F.M (2008).