Obesity considered a global epidemic by WHO
Obesity is one of the biggest health challenges facing the world today , affecting around 800 million people , with millions more at risk . The prevalence of obesity has tripled over the past four decades , imposing an enormous burden on people ’ s health as well as the healthcare system .
According to the World Health Organization ( WHO ), more than a quarter of South Africans live with obesity , making our country among the top 20 % of the most obese nations in the world !
Studies by the SA Medical Research Council indicate that half of all South Africans are overweight . Even more shocking is the fact that 22 % of children between 1 and 9 are overweight or obese . The pandemic , lockdown and increased sedentary lifestyle has made the situation worse
Dr Morgan Mkhatshwa , Head of Operations says that for overweight or obese people it ’ s not just an issue of vanity or fitting into a pair of jeans . ‘ Risks associated with obesity include : Significantly contributing to the development of cardiovascular disease , type 2 diabetes , hypertension ( high blood pressure ), cancer ( particularly colon , prostate and breast ), sleep apnoea , degenerative joint disease , digestive tract diseases ( gallstones ), mental health and dermatological disorders .'
What determines if you are obese or not ? Your Body Mass Indicator ( BMI ) calculator checks if you ' re at a healthy weight . Here ’ s how to calculate yours :
• Divide your weight in kilograms ( kg ) by your height in metres ( m ²)
If your BMI is over 25 you are considered overweight , at 30 + you ’ re classified as obese .
However , there are detractors of BMI on its own The BMI screening may not be the best option for bulky , body-builder or stocky men for example . This is because it does not distinguish between lean muscle mass and body fat . Best practice is to measure body fat percentage along with the BMI calculation . This provides a better indication of one ’ s body composition .
‘ Obesity is a chronic and progressive disease ,’ says Dr Mkhatshwa , ‘ Urbanisation and the lifestyle associated with it , is one of the main contributing factors .’
There are two reasons for this :
• Lack of exercise : Cities are often over-populated , there are too few public spaces for physical activity and many residents use transport to commute
• Poor nutrition : Changes in diet include more processed and refined food , an increase in high-fat and high-sugar diets , less fruit and vegetables , less complex carbohydrates and fibre
Although obesity is often associated with poor lifestyle choices , lack of motivation or unhealthy habits – it isn ’ t always the case . In America , where 40 % of adults are obese , obesity has been recognised as a disease by the American Medical Association for a decade . Despite this , they are still seeing most treatment approaches for obesity focus solely on behavioural therapy . The stigma and assumptions continue to limit better obesity treatment .
The origin of obesity is complex and poorly understood , but includes nutritional , physiological , psychological and genetic factors .
• Environmental factors such as a sedentary lifestyle and excess calorie consumption can cause obesity
• Genetic studies with adopted children have demonstrated that they have similar BMIs to their biologic parents but not their adoptive parents . Twin studies also demonstrate a genetic influence on BMI
• Secondary causes of obesity can result from medications ( eg . antipsychotics , steroids and antiviral drugs ) and endocrine disorders like Cushing ’ s syndrome and hypothyroidism
According to the International Journal of Obesity , adults with obesity ( BMI ≥ 30 ) incur 42 % higher medical costs per capita and are nearly two times more likely to die before age 70 than adults with a healthy weight . They also say that health care providers play a vital role in the prevention , treatment and control of obesity . They recommend that multicomponent behavioural interventions , pharmacotherapy and bariatric ( stomach shrinking ) surgery are all effective strategies that
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Bonitas Member Magazine Issue 2 | 2022