One in three South Africans now deemed obese

 

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 2014 Global Status Report notes that obesity around the world has doubled since 1980‚ adding that 3.4 million adults die per year as a result of being overweight.

With 31.3% of the South African population being classified as obese‚ many run the risk of developing other health problems as a result. According to Anderson‚ this can be significantly reduced if South Africans choose to live healthier lifestyles.
“These statistics are a cause for serious concern‚ as this growing trend is leading to an increase in cardiovascular and chronic illnesses in the country‚” he says. “The fact that that statistics show there are more than 30 million overweight children living in developing countries is an indictment on our society.
“It is crucial for organisations and influencers 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.”
A healthy lifestyle will not only benefit one’s physical wellbeing‚ it could also have a significant and positive impact on one’s finances. “This is particularly relevant considering that South Africa is among the world’s most expensive nations in terms of healthcare and the cost of medicines‚” says Anderson.
He says high prices are due to a range of factors‚ such as drug company research and development‚ patent restrictions‚ transport and infrastructural demands‚ as well as the government drug tender system‚ which results in companies adding supplementary mark-ups to products in the private healthcare sector to offset cost cutting during the tender process.
“With this in mind‚ many would agree that taking a preventable approach to health care rather than a reactive one‚ once problems arise‚ is a far more sustainable way to deal with both obesity and the range of related diseases that can stem from this condition.”