Jackie Opara
Obesity is a mammoth health problem in Africa, and the continent’s researchers need to find ways of dealing with the scourge, the South African Medical Research Council has said.
A council statement on 29 May referred to data published in the Lancet journal showing that 42 per cent of South African women and 39 per cent of South African men were overweight.
South Africa recorded the highest levels of obesity in sub-Saharan Africa in the Lancet study.
“This is very sobering data. The epidemic of obesity in our country will affect morbidity and mortality and lead to unnecessary premature death. We need innovative interventions to curb obesity in our society,” MRC president Glenda Gray said in the statement.
Obesity is a continent-wide challenge, particularly among African women, the MRC said in its statement.
“[Obesity] will have major implications for the healthcare systems in the region as they will face increasing demand for care,” said Andre Kegne, a professor at the MRC who took part in the study.
Overweight or obese individuals have a higher risk of contacting diseases such as diabetes, osteoarthritis, cancer and cardiovascular diseases, he said. “Some of these conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are already among the leading causes of deaths in the country,” he added.
The research was conducted by the Global Burden of Diseases 2013 Expert group, led by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in the US. Data was collated from 188 countries, including several African countries.
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SA MRC statement
http://www.mrc.ac.za/pressreleases/2014/14press2014.htm
Article in The Lancet
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)60460-8/fulltext
Jackieopara 