SA children are obese but stunted

CHILDREN in South Africa display several traits of poor health according to the 2019 SA Child Gauge Report, released by the Children’s Institute, at the University of  Cape Town.

By harnessing the collective academic capabilities at UCT, the institute aims to promote enquiry, to build capacity through teaching and training, and to present evidence to guide the development of policies, laws and interventions for children.

Reflecting data from several research studies, the 2019 SA Child Gauge Report noted an increase in both stunting and obesity in children, which reflects that while children are over weight, they are undernourished.

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According to the report, stunting in children between the ages of 1-3 years old increased from 23.4 per cent in 2005 (National Food Consumption Survey-Fortification) to 27 per cent in 2016 (South Africa Demographic Health Survey).

“Child nutrition is a major driver of child mortality and morbidity in South Africa. This includes a substantial burden of under nutrition, and a rapidly growing  epidemic of obesity, driven by over consumption of sugary drinks and ultraprocessed foods, and reduced physical activity. Undernutrition remains a key driver of under-five mortality with a quarter of hospital deaths associated with severe acute malnutrition and another quarter associated with moderate acute malnutrition,” reads the report.

While the percentage of underweight children has decreased from 9.3 per cent (2005) to 6 percent (2016), one in four are stunting.

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“Stunting is an indicator of chronic malnutrition. While poor maternal nutrition is a key contributor, prevalence increases between eight and 23 months as children shift to complementary feeding and become increasingly mobile and exposed to infection,” reads the report.

While poverty levels have decreased, 60 per cent of SA children live below the poverty line in a household with an income of  less than R1183 per month, stated the report.

“Growing up in a poor household is likely to compromise children’s health, nutritional status, care arrangements and access to services. It undermines their cognitive development, academic performance and employment prospects and compromises the health and development of the next generation of children,” read the report.

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