Overeating’s a danger in our profession, admits health crusader Motsoaledi

HEALTH Minister Aaron Motsoaledi is a man with a mission – he’s touting exercise and a healthy lifestyle to his cabinet colleagues. And it seems to be paying off.

“There’s a hype in cabinet. They are accepting… What is left is the food (issue). The problem for public representatives: there’s food everywhere!” he said yesterday.

The health minister some time ago took up healthy eating and exercise, mostly walking, and has lost weight. But has he persuaded his colleagues?

Pointing to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga at a parliamentary briefing yesterday, the health minister said she was now avoiding the lift and taking the stairs, while her deputy Enver Surty had stopped smoking.

Even President Jacob Zuma during last week’s State of the Nation Address showed he was not immune to the health minister’s passion. He went off script to refer to Motsoaledi’s campaign for a healthy lifestyle and exercise when he said: “We also wish to encourage South Africans to live healthier lives to reduce the impact of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension”.

Portly, rotund and stout have been some of the kinder descriptions applied to cabinet ministers, MPS and other public representatives, whose waistlines are often observed to expand once they are sworn into office. It was a professional risk, said Motsoaledi. When MPS meet in committees, there is food; when mayors cut ribbons, there’s food and even bishops visiting communities are offered food at every house.

“That’s the danger of this profession. All of us, we have this problem of availability of food,” he smiled.