Obesity in South Africa: Challenges for government and health professionals

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dc.contributor.authorKruger, Salome H
dc.contributor.authorPuoane, Thandi
dc.contributor.authorSenekal, Marjanne
dc.contributor.authorVan Der Merwe, Theresa M
dc.date.accessioned2011-11-30T13:57:04Z
dc.date.available2011-11-30T13:57:04Z
dc.date.issued2005
dc.description.abstractOBJECTIVES: To review data on the prevalence, causes and health consequences of obesity in South Africa and propose interventions to prevent and treat obesity and related outcomes. METHODS: Data from existing literature were reviewed with an emphasis on changing eating and activity patterns, cultural factors, perceptions and beliefs, urbanisation and globalisation. Results of studies on the health consequences of obesity in South Africans are also reviewed. RESULTS: Shifts in dietary intakes and activity patterns to higher fat intakes and lower physical activity are contributing to a higher prevalence of obesity. Few overweight black women view themselves as overweight, and some associate thinness with HIV/AIDS. Glucose and lipid toxicity, associated with insulin resistance, play roles in the pathogenesis of the co-morbid diseases of obesity. Elevated free fatty acids in the black population predispose obese black patients to type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS: Obesity prevention and treatment should be based on education, behaviour change, political support, intersectoral collaboration and community participation, local actions, wide inclusion of the population, adequately resourced programmes, infiltration of existing initiatives, evidence-based planning, and proper monitoring and evaluation. Interventions should have the following components: reasonable weight goals, healthful eating, physical activity and behavioural change. Genes and mutations affecting susceptibility to the development of co-morbidities of obesity and vulnerable periods of life for the development of obesity should be prioritised. Prevention should be managed in community services, identification of high-risk patients in primary healthcare services and treatment of co-morbid diseases in hospital services.en_US
dc.identifier.citationKruger, S. H., et al. (2005). Obesity in South Africa: Challenges for government and health professionals. Public Health Nutrition, 8 (5): 491-500en_US
dc.identifier.issn1368-9800
dc.identifier.otherDOI: 10.1079/PHN2005785
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10566/285
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.privacy.showsubmittertrue
dc.publisherNutrition Societyen_US
dc.rightsCopyright Authors.
dc.source.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1079/PHN2005785
dc.status.ispeerreviewedtrue
dc.subjectObesityen_US
dc.subjectUrbanisationen_US
dc.subjectCultural beliefsen_US
dc.subjectDieten_US
dc.subjectPhysical activityen_US
dc.subjectInsulin resistanceen_US
dc.subjectSouth Africaen_US
dc.titleObesity in South Africa: Challenges for government and health professionalsen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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