Obesity is a complex, chronic disease with several causes that leads to excessive body fat and sometimes, poor health. In South Africa obesity is a huge public health concerns. According to a study conducted by Wits university, which found that almost half of SA’s adult population is either overweight (23%) or obese (27%).
Body fat itself is not a disease, but when your body has too much extra fat, it can change the way it functions. These changes are progressive, and can worsen over time. It can also lead to adverse health effects. However, they also need to be recognised as complex issues, needing improved strategies and sustainable solutions according to Maria van der Merwe, President of ADSA (Association for Dietetics in South Africa).
Obesity in South Africa has drastically increased.
Overweight and obesity carry an immense risk of developing non-communicable diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Obesity is closely associated with numerous other serious health risks including cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. According to the World Obesity Atlas 2022, 50% of South African women will be obese by 2030, the highest predicted rate in Africa.
Maria van der Merwe, said in a statement shared with BONA: “We can see from these outcomes that there’s a need for South Africans to shift societal perspectives on overweight and obesity and to start having different, better conversations about these serious conditions.”
She continued by explaining that being overweight and obese stems from biological, environmental and behaviors which one adapts and therefore needs a holistic response which can be addressed through multiple ways.
“Overweight and obesity are complex issues; a convergence of biological, environmental, and behavioral factors that require a holistic response and can only be addressed effectively by multiple strategies. Simply telling people to ‘eat less and move more’ is completely ineffective. Trying out diet after diet, with your weight going up and down, is not healthy for your body or your mind. Shaming people who struggle with achieving a healthy weight and maintaining weight balance only harms them, it never helps. This is why, as a nation, we need new ways of thinking and talking about overweight and obesity,” said Maria van der Merwe.
“Your best weight is not the thinnest you can possibly be, at whatever cost to your well-being. The focus needs to shift from indicators such as achieving a low BMI (Body Mass Index) to improving health, well-being and quality of life. The HAES movement recognises that people of all shapes and sizes can be healthy, and that your weight or BMI does not determine your health. With this perspective, you take the focus off achieving a ‘goal weight’ and put it on adopting healthy behaviours such as eating balanced meals based on a variety of whole foods, getting sufficient sleep, managing stress and enjoying being physically active.”
People who are overweight experience a huge amount of discrimination on a daily basis whether it be on our TV screens or magazines which therefore has detrimental impacts on these types of individuals such as depression and anxiety, social isolation, reluctance to access health care, avoidance of physical activity and chronic stress.
“It’s particularly important to note that discrimination can inhibit people from accessing the medical care that they might need,” says Van der Merwe. “People who are overweight and obese fear being stigmatized including within the healthcare system and this leads to delayed diagnoses, delayed treatments, and poor adherence to treatments. We must strive for more supportive and inclusive environments, from playgrounds and workplaces to the doctors’ rooms and clinics. This means letting go the harmful and erroneous stereotypes and refraining from making judgements based on bias, not facts. For instance, obesity is a medical condition affected by several factors including genetics and metabolism. These are biological factors that have nothing to do with the willpower or the character of a person,” said Van der Merwe.
Van der Merwe concludes by stating the way forward to fight obesity in South Africa. “There are many factors that need to be addressed such as improving access to healthy foods and empowering people to make more healthy eating choices. We need safer neighbourhoods and more resources so that all South Africans can easily include physical activity in their lifestyles. We need improved access to quality healthcare, including mental health services. On a personal level, we can embrace concepts such as ‘Healthy At Every Size’, and contribute to supportive and inclusive environments for people who are living with overweight and obesity.”
