NEWS, VIEWS & REVIEWS

South Africans are the most obese and overweight people in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a 2016 report by The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa. Nearly two thirds of our women – and one third of our men – are classified as overweight or obese, with an enormous 40% of women presenting as obese.

What’s saddest about these statistics for us is that it’s not just the adults, who are responsible for their own diets – it’s also our kids: one in four girls and one in five boys between the ages of two and 14 are overweight or obese.

Because it’s harder to exercise when you’re overweight these kids often don’t – and that’s a problem in its own right, quite apart from the health issues that result simply from being overweight (type-2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and joint pain, to name just a few). Not only is there a strong link between exercise and a sense of happiness and wellbeing, it’s also true that regular exercise becomes a habit, and moving your body is a worthwhile habit to learn when you’re young because you’re much more likely to keep it up as an adult.

Unfortunately, the current state of affairs highlighted by these stats means that our overweight kids have a strong chance of growing up to be both unhealthy and unhappy – if we don’t do anything about it, that is. The good news is that time is on our side and it’s an easy problem to fix: low-carb living is not only a simple and healthy way to drop weight quickly, it’s also an excellent way to keep it off in the long term.

The fact that you’re reading this editorial means that you have already taken that step in determining to take control of your own health, so well done to you! It’s a ripple effect – when others see how good you look and, more crucially, how well you feel, it inspires them to do the same. Both Anne and Esther, who share their remarkable turnaround stories with us this month (pages 6 and 24, respectively), mention how their own children and extended families were encouraged by their success to do the same, with great results.

Together we really can change the world – or at least move it on to healthier and happier ground.

‘Let’s do this!’

Until next time

THE LOSE IT! TEAM