Obesity ticking time bomb for Africa’s children, teens
WHO warns millions risk shorter life span
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has sounded the alarm bell over childhood and teenage obesity in Africa.
The organisation in a report released on Friday, said one in five adults, and one out of 10 children and teenagers on the continent, are projected to be obese by December 2023 if drastic measures are not taken to reverse the trend.
“Africa is facing a growing problem of obesity and [people being] overweight, and the trends are rising. This is a ticking time bomb. If unchecked, millions of people, including children, risk living shorter lives under the burden of poor health,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa. “But we can resolve the crisis because many of the causes of obesity and [being] overweight are preventable and reversible.”
The WHO identified the following as drivers of obesity:
• consuming energy-dense foods;
• sedentary lifestyles or lack of physical activity associated with rising urbanisation or changing modes of transport in many countries; and
• a lack of strong policies in urban planning and environment to support healthier lifestyles.
Dangers of being obese:
Being obese or overweight raises the risk of suffering cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, muscle and skeletal disorders as well some types of cancer.
Among children, being overweight is associated with a higher chance of obesity, premature death and disability in adulthood. “Lowering the risk of [being] overweight and obesity includes adopting a healthy diet such as reducing the number of calories consumed in fats and sugars, undertaking regular physical activity as well as government policies that help people opt for healthier lifestyles and diets, for instance, by ensuring that healthy foods are accessible and affordable,” Moeti said.
Here are some tips to help your kids ward off the obesity trap:
• Teach and model healthy and positive attitudes toward food and physical activity without emphasising body weight; and
• Do not isolate overweight children. Involve the whole family to gradually change the family’s physical activity and eating habits.