Kenny Folarin, Abuja
Obesity and overweight commonly defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health is common among both under developed, developed and developing countries.
It is the excessive or abnormal accumulation of fat or adipose tissue in the body that may impair health which is often measured using the Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference.
Meanwhile, an individual is classified at risk of being obese if the waist circumference is more than 40 inches (102cm) and 35 inches (88cm) for men and non-pregnant women respectively.
A Nutritionist-Dietitian and currently a Research Assistant in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science at Utah State University, USA, Oluyemisi Akinsola in an exclusive interview noted that exercising only is not the best option to reducing obesity but identified diet modification and increased physical activity as the best option.
Akinsola explained that diet modification includes reduced overall intake, substituting processed foods/sugars (white bread, cakes, doughnuts, etc) for whole grains/minimally processed cereals, consumption of fruits/vegetables, cutting down on fatty foods/carbonated drinks/alcohol, and modifying cooking methods such as boiling, steaming instead of frying.
Meanwhile, Akinsola posits that physical exercise/activities help to maintain weight, reduced high blood pressure (systolic), type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, arthritis pain, osteoporosis, and several forms of cancers.
“A minimum of 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity per week or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity weekly is essential to prevent weight regain, increase weight loss and improve fitness”.
On a global scale, especially in Africa, she noted that there is a rise in the average Projected Prevalence (PP) of obesity in Africa which is expected to increase in childhood overweight aged 0-5years (+0.4PP), child obesity aged 5-19years (+1.2PP), and adult obesity aged 18 years and above indicators between 2018 – 2025.
Continuing, Akinsola stated that despite the prevalence of obesity, the region is also challenged by Double Burden of Malnutrition (DBM) with a high prevalence of undernutrition and increasing obesity along with diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) (WHO 2018).
“Considering that most countries will not meet the global nutrition targets by 2025 (Global Nutrition Report 2018), it is unlikely that the region will achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030”.
“Some of the drivers of the DBM such as food insecurity and infectious diseases, persist as drought and, floods continue to mark the face of Africa”.
Cultural perceptions of female body size also drive the DBM as being overweight is considered a sign of wealth, achievement, and marital harmony.
This cultural aspect, along with reduced physical activity, could explain why obesity is consistently higher in women compared to men.
Also, reduced physical activity and the consumption of cheap processed foods are increasing at the expense of fresh and minimally processed foods are another risk.
The commercialization of food production, processing, and distribution is correlated with decreasing smallholder farming, dietary diversity, and increasing household dependence on purchased foods, resulting in diets that are of low nutritional quality, energy-dense, and high in processed sugars, salt, and saturated/trans fats.
“With all these points, it tends to reduce productivity and increased healthcare that comes with risk factors such as diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases among others in Africa”.
Akinsola advised that Africans should leverage food products in season especially fruits and vegetables because they are readily available and affordable.
Also, public health nutrition professionals at all levels should be available to educate the public through Social Behavioral Campaigns (SBC) towards healthy eating.