RESEARCH released earlier this year has found South Africa to be the unhealthiest country on earth.
This according to the Indigo Wellness Index, one of the most comprehensive rankings to date, which is based on 10 measures: healthy life expectancy, blood pressure, blood glucose (diabetes risk), obesity, depression, happiness, alcohol use, tobacco use, inactivity (too little exercise), and government spending on healthcare.
Of these health gripes the rate of obesity is the most alarming issue in South Africa, said Dr Riekie Smit, an aesthetic medicine practitioner from Pretoria with a special interest in weight management.
“South Africans can be very lazy and expect their doctor or a tablet to fix their health problems. Changing lifestyle, diet and habits are not viewed as the first step to cure diseases by our population,” she said.
Also read: Durban North woman discovers Home Affairs marital slip-up
People who are obese, compared to those with a normal or healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including high blood pressure (hypertension), type 2 diabetes, sleep apnoea and breathing problems, coronary heart disease, stroke, some cancers, osteoarthritis and many others.
“Both government and private health sectors will need to start developing systems to encourage patients to improve healthy lifestyles, diet, activity and addictions. This is vital to reduce the excess load on both public and private health care. We simply do not have enough doctors and healthcare facilities to manage our unhealthy population,” she said.
Also read: How to pour the perfect pint
“Numerous studies have proven this with evidence that weight loss of just 5 – 10 per cent of body weight improves cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome and risk for diabetes (22 per cent reduction), reduction of cholesterol levels, blood pressure levels, inflammation, sleep apnoea, psyche and many more improvements,” she added.
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532. 
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
