The rising obesity rate among South African youth is crippling their ability to live healthy lives and fully enjoy their youth as more and more develop life-threatening chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes.
A recent research report published in the New England Medical Journal reveals that 1.6 million South African children are considered obese, in addition to 10 million adults. South Africa has the highest obesity rates for women in Africa.
The study, which measured overweight and obesity trends between 1990 and 2015 in close to 200 countries worldwide, found that 107 million children are living with obesity globally. While this figure is lower than that what was seen among adults (603 million), children and teenagers are gaining weight at a much faster rate.
A significant proportion of many children’s daily calorie intake is sugary drinks like sodas and sweetened fruit juices. Many parents stock the beverages during regular grocery shopping trips to put them in their kids’ school lunch bags and to have with dinner at the end of each day.
The escalating weight of youth puts them at greater risk of developing other noncommunicable diseases like those related to the cardiovascular and renal system, as well as several cancers later in life. These complicated, life-altering and costly health issues require quick and long-lasting interventions.
Healthy Living Alliance coordinator Tracey Malawana said: “Kids need protection from these toxic products more than anybody else and we call on our leadership to endorse a strong tax because we cannot afford to wait as our children get sicker.” – news@citizen.co.za
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