Fat, lazy and unmotivated

Middle-class South Africans are getting fatter and lazier, despite having access to discounted gyms and knowing the dangers of being overweight.

This is according to the Discovery Vitality ObeCity Index, which measures eating habits, weight, time spent exercising and the mental wellbeing of about 170000 Vitality members.

The index, released yesterday, shows that Bloemfontein has the highest number of overweight people, and Johannesburg has the least.

Bloemfontein residents, according to the index, eat the saltiest food, drink the most sugary drinks and are not so keen to eat fruit and vegetables.

Pretoria residents spend the second-longest amount of time sitting - a risk factor for heart disease and obesity. They also have the worst sleep patterns and the highest score for adding fat to food.

In Port Elizabeth, residents are the most likely to add sugar to tea and coffee, have weight problems and make poor choices of food and drinks.

Durban has been found to have high levels of physical activity but has scored badly for low fruit and vegetable intake, and eating too little lean meat and too much high-fat dairy.

Johannesburg residents have done well on the weight front. They have less body fat and are least likely to add sugar to tea, but spend the most time sitting.

Cape Town is the healthiest city in the country, with its Vitality members eating the most fruit and vegetables, doing the most exercise and having the best mental health.

The report says though Cape Town statistics show some positives, there is still a "need to improve".

Vitality head Craig Nossel says the data shows that in 1998 56% of women who were overweight were obese. This now stands at 64%.

"There is a rapid growth in the number of cases of diabetes, hypertension and obesity coming into the healthcare system at younger and younger ages.

"Before these were issues that impacted people post-retirement. Now companies have to take this a lot more seriously. This impacts their bottom line," Nossel says.