Fat s in the fire for SA
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SOUTH Africa is bursting at the seams. We are among the fattest people on earth.
More than 60% of the nation s women and 30% of men are overweight or obese, according to the Discovery Vitality ObeCity Index.
This week, medical professionals gathered in Joburg to dissect the findings and look at possible solutions.
The study was conducted among 170 000 Discovery Vitality members in Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Joburg, Pretoria, Durban and Port Elizabeth.
Dr Zanele Mchiza of the Medical Research Council attributes the obesity epidemic to sociocultural factors.
People attach the way they eat to their culture. These sociocultural factors are very difficult to understand in the context of South Africa because we are so diverse.”
She says people need to be educated about the diseases related to unhealthy eating because this makes it easier to change people s beliefs.
The food we eat and the way in which we prepare it is what is unhealthy. We need to go back to the basics of how our parents used to make food.”
Social gatherings also contribute a lot to weight gain and obesity. At a party or braai, it s normal to see buffet tables heaving under unhealthy food disguised as salads.
With our hectic lifestyles, it s easier to pick up ready-made meals or fast food than stand over the stove.
People are not making their food at home and when they do make it, it s not done correctly,” says Mchiza.
Exercise is essential and needs to form part of a daily routine. But we are not moving enough.
You need to clock at least 150 minutes of exercise and movement a week to stay healthy and 250 minutes of movement a week to lose weight.
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Dr Craig Nossel of Discovery agrees that we are not moving enough and spend too much time at our desks. Sitting is a big risk; it s now the the new smoking. Try by all means to be active, even during work hours. Stand up often and move around.”
Professor Marjanne Senekal, head of human nutrition at the University of Cape Town, warns against popular diets because of the harm they do to the body over the long term. There needs to be education around popular diets because they lead to weight gain in the long run. These affect individuals and are not necessarily spoken about.
Diets that protect health all include fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meat, dairy, etc. A diet that requires you to exclude such is not long term and you should stay away from it,” she says. Diets come and go, but the nation is getting fatter.” an altercation with her boss.
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