SA pigs out in fat ranking

22 June 2015 - 02:03 By RDM News Wire

One in three South Africans are now categorised as obese, making the country's population the most obese nation in sub-Saharan Africa, according to Graham Anderson, principal officer and CEO of medical aid Profmed. The WHO 2014 global status report noted that obesity had doubled around the world since 1980, adding that 3.4million adults died every year as a result of being overweight.With 31.3% of the South African population classified as obese, many run the risk of developing health problems.According to Anderson, this could be significantly reduced if South Africans chose to live healthier lifestyles."These statistics are a cause for serious concern, because this growing trend is leading to an increase in cardiovascular and chronic illnesses in the country," he said."That the statistics show there are more than 30million overweight children living in developing countries is an indictment on our society."It is crucial for organisations in the health and wellness arena to advocate the need to make necessary lifestyle changes early on in order to prevent or decrease the chances of developing lifestyle illnesses."This is particularly relevant considering that South Africa is among the world's most expensive nations for healthcare and medicines."Many would agree that taking a preventable approach to healthcare, rather than a reactive one, is a far more sustainable way to deal with both obesity and related diseases ," he said...

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