MEC Madoda Sambatha on raising awareness as the World Obesity Day
The North West department of Health joins the global communities to mark the World Obesity Day on 4 March 2022 with the theme: Everybody Needs to Act to Make Healthier Choices Easier
The 2022 campaign is the third unified World Obesity Day, when World Obesity members and allies come together to call for change. It builds on the success of the 2021 campaign, “Everybody Needs Everybody”, which received unprecedented press and public support, reaching hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges facing the world today, affecting 800 million people with millions more at risk. It is a life-altering disease that increases the likelihood of comorbidities and doubles the risk of Covid-19 hospitalisation, yet people living with obesity lack support and face stigma at work, home and in the health system. To make change a reality, we need action at the local, national, and global levels.
This condition puts people at a higher risk for serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. World Obesity Day, observed annually on March 4, highlights the environmental and medical factors that contribute to high obesity rates. The day also focuses on what we can all do to end the stigma.
The World Obesity Federation reminds us that the ‘roots of obesity run deep’ and sustainable solutions to this escalating global issue are far more complex than individual accountability. From biology and genetics to healthcare access, life events and mental health; from food systems to food marketing, there can be a range of intertwined factors that can lead to obesity.
South Africa has a rapidly urbanising population, and lifestyle and behaviour changes are part of this transition. Many South African urban areas are close to being ‘food deserts’ where fresh produce and healthy whole foods are scarce and instead there’s an abundance of cheap, nutrient-poor, high fat, high sugar, highly processed foods. In communities where there is a high crime rate as well as a dire lack of safe, green spaces and sports facilities, a sedentary lifestyle is common and regarded as more secure.
Tackling obesity in South Africa is going to require a multi-dimensional approach involving many stakeholders including a number of government departments, the healthcare and education systems, and corporate and industry players. According to the National Department of Health, the prevention and management of obesity should not only be the responsibility of individuals and health care workers, but also requires the transformation of our food systems to provide healthy food choices that are affordable, available and accessible for all South Africans.
Source: Government of South Africa