One in three South Africans now deemed obese

One in three South Africans are now deemed 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 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 percent 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. He said 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. Anderson said 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. Anderson said 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.  He said 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‚ Anderson said, 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.

RDM News Wire, 21 June 2015