Obesity epidemic spreads in sub-Saharan Africa

A recent study says the urban poor in sub-Saharan Africa are the latest victims of the obesity epidemic. The study is published in the open access journal BMC Public Health .

A team of researchers from the African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya employed data from seven African countries to investigate changes in body mass index (BMI) between early 1990s and early 2000s. Abdhalah Ziraba worked with the team and said in the media release, “Despite being the least urbanized continent, Africa’s population is becoming increasingly urban and its cities are growing at unprecedented rates. In spite of rampant poverty in urban areas, access to cheap foods with a high content of fat and sugar is commonplace”. The study shows the number of people overweight/obese increased by nearly 35 percent during the study period. People who enjoyed a higher socio-economic status were more likely to be overweight or obese, but the rate of increase in obesity was higher in the poor group. Ziraba added, “Given the chronic nature of most diseases associated with obesity and by extension the huge cost of treatment, the prospects look grim for the already under-funded and ill-equipped African health care systems unless urgent action is taken."