Questions
WOF says obesity is a chronic disease
Being obese is a chronic disease and very dangerous when you have Covid-19. Almost 20% of South African patients suffering from obesity who contracted the virus succumbed to Covid-19 since the pandemic hit last year.
Dr Tobeka Boltina, the head of Clinical, Medical and Regulatory Affairs at Novo Nordisk, says nearly 70% of South African women and 31% of South African men are overweight or obese. But it’s not just exercise that fixes “fat” problems and protects you from the virus.
Boltina says common misperceptions are that obesity is a disease of overeating and due to people not exercising enough. She explains that obesity is defined as an abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat that may impair health.
“Body mass index (BMI) provides the most convenient population-level measure of overweight and obesity currently available. Calculating your BMI is simple; BMI = weight/height (metres squared): your weight divided by your height (metres squared). A BMI between 25 and 29.9 shows that a person is overweight,” she says.
According to the World Obesity Federation (WOF), the rising prevalence of obesity worldwide makes it one of the most important public health problems facing the world. The WOF further reiterates that obesity should be considered as a disease because it is a chronic, relapsing condition that is caused by a variety of factors including an abundance of food, a sedentary lifestyle and several environmental factors that interact with genetic susceptibility.
Boltina says in relation to Covid-19, data based on the US Centers for Disease Control, showed that the most prevalent comorbidity among patients under 65 years with Covid-19, was obesity. “Among a group of 41 877 individuals admitted to hospital with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 in South Africa, obesity was identified as a comorbidity in 19.7 % of the patients admitted,” she says.
Obesity often comes coupled with diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, heart attacks and chronic lung or renal disease.
When it comes to treatment for obese patients with Covid-19, she says it is imperative that they try not to contract the virus at all and follow necessary precautions as outlined by the health authorities.
“Depending on the severity of symptoms caused by the Covid-19 infection, treatment for each patient would be individualised by the healthcare practitioner who is assessing the patient,” she says.
She adds that there is a breakthrough treatment for people suffering from obesity with the new anti-obesity medication from Novo Nordisk.
“It is important to note that no medication can be considered as 100% effective. The new anti-obesity medication affects feelings of hunger and fullness. As obesity can be impacted by hormones, the medication focuses on targeting hormones to try and treat obesity. Tackling the hormonal causes of obesity
is important in counteracting weight regain. The body has a set weight that it is genetically predisposed to, and when you begin losing weight your body’s natural survival instincts kick in to regain that weight.
“This weight regain occurs as there are changes to the hormonal signals within the body resulting in the hunger hormone (ghrelin) increasing, and a decrease in the hormones that tell the brain to stop eating or send a signal of satiety or fullness. This
makes maintaining weight loss difficult.
“The medication contains a hormone that enhances the secretion of insulin as well as increasing the feeling of fullness during and between meals. It does so by acting on the appetite centres of the brain and, also by slowing the emptying of the stomach. This appetite suppression and the slowing down of emptying the stomach are thought to be responsible for the weight loss effects,” says Boltina.
South Africa’s fast-rising boxing sensation Yanga Sigqibo has taken on the chin the disappointment of being dropped from his World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight world title challenge.
Sigqibo, a reigning World Boxing Organisation (WBO) intercontinental junior bantamweight titleholder, will now focus on the WBO route after his dream fight did not materialise.
The East London-based camp was approached by the WBC bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali’s team for the WBC interim title defence. The fight was scheduled for March 13 in France.
Sigqibo’s manager, Lonki Witbooi, said they received the official notice at exactly eight weeks before the fight. The fight was then called off six weeks before the fight date.
There was a change of plans because the Frenchman decided to defend against mandatory challenger Nonito Donaire.
The two bantamweight kingpins were supposed to lock horns in December.
The championship contest did not take place because Oubaali tested positive for Covid-19 in October.
Witbooi said his charge has taken it on the chin that Oubaali has opted for mandatory defence. “Yanga took it well because there was not much that had been invested in terms of training for the fight when it was called off.
“Another reason he is okay with it is that he is number two in WBO ratings at junior bantamweight and still stands a good chance to challenge for the world title.
“We did not lose anything, instead we were grabbing an opportunity of a lifetime that was presented to us at bantamweight,” said Witbooi.
“We were disappointed, but not as much as we would have been if we had been informed while we were deep into preparations. So, it was not as bad as it could have been.”
The young boxing manager said their company, Rumble Africa Promotions, is working around the clock to get the youngster an elimination bout for the WBO junior bantamweight belt held by Japanese four-weight world champion Kazuto Loka.
“Our promotion is still pushing for the elimination title bout for Yanga and we are hoping to hear the outcome soon,” he said.
Though the 25-year-old fighter from Duncan Village in East London is an international campaigner, Witbooi said it would be an added advantage if the elimination title fight was held in SA.