{"id":12999,"date":"2016-01-06T03:50:57","date_gmt":"2016-01-06T03:50:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/?p=12999"},"modified":"2016-11-28T16:42:10","modified_gmt":"2016-11-28T16:42:10","slug":"obesity-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/obesity-south-africa","title":{"rendered":"Obesity Is A Rising Epidemic in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"a6b39195b99473d6c9dd698db2668010\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:2px 0 2px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<center>\r\n\r\n<script type='text\/javascript'>\r\nfunction ShorterThan(widthMax) {\r\n                if (screen.width < widthMax) {return true;}  \r\n                else {return false}\r\n    }\r\nvar LimitWidth = 728\r\nvar MobileZoneID = 348996\r\nvar DesktopZoneID = 348995   \r\n<!--\/\/<![CDATA[\r\n   document.MAX_ct0 ='';\r\n   var m3_u = (location.protocol=='https:'?'https:\/\/cas.criteo.com\/delivery\/ajs.php?':'https:\/\/cas.criteo.com\/delivery\/ajs.php?');\r\n   var m3_r = Math.floor(Math.random()*99999999999);\r\n   document.write (\"<scr\"+\"ipt type='text\/javascript' src='\"+m3_u);\r\n   if (ShorterThan(LimitWidth)) {document.write (\"zoneid=\"+MobileZoneID);} else {document.write (\"zoneid=\"+DesktopZoneID);}\r\n   document.write(\"&nodis=1\");\r\n   document.write ('&cb=' + m3_r);\r\n   if (document.MAX_used != ',') document.write (\"&exclude=\" + document.MAX_used);\r\n   document.write (document.charset ? '&charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? '&charset='+document.characterSet : ''));\r\n   document.write (\"&loc=\" + escape(window.location));\r\n   if (document.referrer) document.write (\"&referer=\" + escape(document.referrer));\r\n   if (document.context) document.write (\"&context=\" + escape(document.context));\r\n   if ((typeof(document.MAX_ct0) != 'undefined') && (document.MAX_ct0.substring(0,4) == 'http')) {\r\n       document.write (\"&ct0=\" + escape(document.MAX_ct0));\r\n   }\r\n   if (document.mmm_fo) document.write (\"&mmm_fo=1\");\r\n   document.write (\"'><\/scr\"+\"ipt>\");\r\n\/\/]]>--><\/script>\r\n<\/center>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Over the last three decades, the number of people who are overweight or obese has greatly increased. More than a third of the world\u2019s adult population is overweight. Oddly enough, the biggest rises have been in the developing world &#8211; such as sub-Saharan Africa &#8211; where people are also starving and malnourished. Two-thirds of the world\u2019s overweight population reside is middle and low-income countries. The number of people who are overweight or obese in developing countries <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.odi.org\/news\/703-overweight-obese-adults-reaching-almost-billion-developing-countries-as-numbers-continue-grow-richer-nations\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">rose from 250 million to almost 1 billion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which is much higher than the rate of developed nations. This change is evident in South Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Obesity is bringing negative consequences to South Africa<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2014, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/2014\/sep\/21\/obesity-africas-new-crisis\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Guardian reported that<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> South Africa has almost double the average global obesity rates and about two-thirds of the population are overweight. The World Health Organization\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/gho\/ncd\/methods\/en\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2014 estimate<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for the share of obese people in the country was 25.6%. This is also affecting children: more than a quarter of girls and almost one in five boys is overweight. Professor Tess Van der Merwe, president of the South African Society for Obesity and Metabolism, said:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cThese are devastating figures, especially since it is such an expensive disease. \u00a0We cannot afford to spend the next decade debating this issue. The obesity problem in our country is where the HIV epidemic was 10 years ago, when we turned a blind eye to the scale of the problem in terms of health economics and became the worst in the world in terms of outcomes.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Obesity leads to diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. These ailments could surpass HIV and tuberculosis as the biggest causes of death in South Africa. This is a big concern as health care for these problems is expensive. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13000\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13000\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-13000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/clucntaueaaocpl.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"710\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/clucntaueaaocpl.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/clucntaueaaocpl-450x270.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/clucntaueaaocpl-150x90.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/clucntaueaaocpl-85x51.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13000\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/CLUcntAUEAAOcPL.jpg\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">{adinserter CNP5}<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Obesity and malnutrition are common in poorer areas<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>People living in poverty will, of course, buy the cheapest food possible. Cheap food is often unhealthy and does not provide the body with adequate nutrients. Zandile Mchiza, an expert with the Chronic Diseases of Lifestyle Unit at the Medical Research Council, said:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cIn one household you can see children who are undernourished, the man with normal weight and then the wife who may be heavily overweight. \u00a0This is why we have the issue of obesity coming up so strongly in Africa even while many people are still starving.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13001\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13001\" style=\"width: 707px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-13001\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/cqxnx7gwoam86yc-1.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"707\" height=\"424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/cqxnx7gwoam86yc-1.jpg 620w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/cqxnx7gwoam86yc-1-600x360.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/cqxnx7gwoam86yc-1-450x270.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/cqxnx7gwoam86yc-1-150x90.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/cqxnx7gwoam86yc-1-85x51.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 707px) 100vw, 707px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13001\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/CQxNx7gWoAM86yc.jpg:large\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Culture also plays a role<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mchiza added that culture may also be influencing the rising obesity. Being larger can be associated with wealth, happiness, beauty. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cThe majority of black South African men prefer chubby women. If you are too thin it means your husband is not taking care of you or you are unhappy. And your children must be fat, too \u2013 we were force fed growing up, always told to eat up all our food and not waste anything on our plates,\u201d he said.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13002\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13002\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-13002\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/wpid-36580466-7bfc-42dd-bc72-486d47bd6a67-620x372-1.jpeg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"710\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/wpid-36580466-7bfc-42dd-bc72-486d47bd6a67-620x372-1.jpeg 620w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/wpid-36580466-7bfc-42dd-bc72-486d47bd6a67-620x372-1-600x360.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/wpid-36580466-7bfc-42dd-bc72-486d47bd6a67-620x372-1-450x270.jpeg 450w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/wpid-36580466-7bfc-42dd-bc72-486d47bd6a67-620x372-1-150x90.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/wpid-36580466-7bfc-42dd-bc72-486d47bd6a67-620x372-1-85x51.jpeg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13002\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/patricforyoh.files.wordpress.com\/2014\/09\/wpid-36580466-7bfc-42dd-bc72-486d47bd6a67-620x372.jpeg\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>It was caused by a shift in lifestyle and diet<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi noted: <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cIt is weird when we are seeing malnutrition co-exist alongside obesity. \u00a0I am not only sad but also alarmed, because of my medical training. In the next decade, many countries will not be able to afford their health costs, and this definitely includes South Africa.\u201d \u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">He believes the issue was created by a combination of a shift from rural to urban and higher consumption of western diets that are high in sugar, fat and salt. Essentially, people are eating worse and moving less. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cThirty years ago black people in South Africa were eating produce from fields that was much healthier, and they were walking big distances. \u00a0When I was a child <\/strong>pupils<strong> would walk 6km to school; some even walked 10km each way. Now life has changed and people do not want to walk anywhere,\u201d he said.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13003\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13003\" style=\"width: 704px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-13003\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/857600_728421.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"704\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/857600_728421.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/857600_728421-600x411.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/857600_728421-85x58.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13003\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeslive.co.za\/Feeds\/2011\/11\/29\/857600_728421.jpg\/ALTERNATES\/crop_630x432\/857600_728421.jpg\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/dangerous-food\">SEE ALSO:\u00a08 Foods and Drinks That You Should Stop Consuming.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<!--CusAds0-->\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the last three decades, the number of people who are overweight or obese has<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":13002,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[111,8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Obesity Is A Rising Epidemic in South Africa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Over the 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