South Africans are the third fattest people in the world.
And a staggering 61 percent of the adult population is overweight, obese or morbidly obese, while 17 percent of children under the age of nine are overweight.
These were some of the alarming results in the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) national health survey released yesterday.
The survey, based on a sample size of 500 respondents of all races from Joburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban, was aimed at measuring how healthy South Africans were.
Seventy-eight percent of obese people and 52 percent of morbidly obese people were in denial over their weight, perceiving themselves to be somewhat healthy or very healthy.
Simultaneously, at the same event, the results of the 2006 Sanofi Aventis “Shape of the nations” survey were presented.
They also indicated South Africa was the third fattest nation after the US and UK.
Cardiologist Dr Jeff King said the dangers of being overweight or obese meant people were exposed to a greater risk of suffering from a variety of chronic diseases.
“Obesity and overweight rank in the top six significant risk factors contributing to the overall burden of chronic disease, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer,” he said.
Interestingly, 59 percent of the respondents believed the government should be doing more to protect consumers from untested or unproven weight-loss medication.
GSK vice-president of consumer healthcare Jonathan Girling said obesity would be in the top three healthcare concerns over the next 20 to 30 years if awareness of the benefits of losing weight weren’t raised.
The SA Medicines Control Council has given the pharmaceutical giant the nod to sell Orlistat – a drug designed to treat obesity – over the counter as of next month.
While King endorsed Orlistat as treatment for obese people, he said a lifestyle change, realistic targets and weight maintenance were also needed.
“The most important thing is for people to take preventive measures by adopting proper eating habits from early on in life…
“Medical armamentarium (the complete equipment of a physician or medical institution) has now been facilitated by the addition of the first schedule 2 over-the-counter product to meet the societal needs and challenges for the preventive management of the overweight obesity pandemic,” King said.