South Africans tipping the scales

STUDIES show many South Africans suffer from health problems related to being overweight.

According to recent research, 1.6 million children in the country were considered obese in addition to 10 million adults. And South African women had the highest obesity rates for women in Africa.

Experts said the rise in obesity among young people limited their ability to live healthy lives and to fully enjoy their youth, as they developed life-threatening chronic diseases.

The Department of Health noted that one in four girls and one in five boys between the ages of 2 and 14 were overweight.

“Obesity-related diseases such as heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and some cancers accounted for 43% of deaths in South Africa. And obesity is one of the top five risk factors for early death,” the department said.

In a worldwide study conducted between 1990 and 2015, researchers found that 107 million children were living with obesity globally, largely due to sugary drinks.