Definition as per the World Health Organisation:
“Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese.”
The most frequently used measure for obesity all over the world is Body Mass Index (BMI). Introduced in the 1830s, this measure considers a person’s weight in relation to their height, their age, sex and level of physical activity.
Despite its popularity BMI doesn’t take into account influencing factors such as body type and bone density in most cases, and doesn’t distinguish between muscle and fat. For example, people who are very muscular, like professional sportspeople, can have a high BMI without much fat. But for most people, BMI is a useful indication of whether they’re a healthy weight or not because of its global ubiquity. The term also identifies ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the likelihood of various diseases and other health problems.
A newer, but notably more consistent test for obesity is waist-to-height ratio (WtHR). According to WtHR, a person is obese if the circumference of their waist measures more than half their height. Thus, a WtHR of .5 or lower is healthy, and a WtHR of higher than .5 is unhealthy, though the cutoff rises to .6 for people aged 50 and older.
You can use the Health Project’s BMI calculator to determine your BMI.
Statistics
South Africa’s ranks 29th of the 190 countries studied according to the World Populations Review of 2023 on overall mean BMI. 39,6% of females and 15,4%of males classifying as obese.
In another survey conducted by the SA Medical Research Council in sub-Saharan African countries, it was found that 61% of the South African population is overweight, obese or morbidly obese. In addition, 70% of all South African women over the age of 35 are overweight or obese with 33% of black women being overweight or obese and 25% of Coloured, White and Asian women following suit. In contrast, 18% of white men over the age of 35 are overweight or obese, followed by 9% percent of Asian, 8% percent of Coloured, and 6% of Black men.
The National Income Dynamics Study Discussion Paper 10 of 2016 found that approximately 16% of South African children aged 5 – 9, 22% of those aged 10 – 14 and 18% of children aged 15-17 with 22% of girls and 15% of boys being overweight or obese. It was also found that children living in urban areas were more overweight or obese at 20%, than children living in rural areas at 16%.
Are you obese
For most adults, if your BMI is:
- below 18.5 – you’re fall in the underweight range
- 18.5 to 24.9 – you’d fall in the healthy weight range
- 25 to 29.9 – you’d be in the overweight range
- 30 to 39.9 – you’d be in the obese range
- 40 or above – you’d be in the severely obese range
If you have a South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean family background you’ll need to use a lower BMI score:
- 23 to 27.4 – you’d be in the overweight range
- 27.5 or above – you’d be in the obese range
Obesity and the risks
Obesity is a serious health concern that increases your risk of many other health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, some types of cancer such as breast cancer and bowel cancer, and strokes. Living with overweight and obesity can also affect your quality of life and could contribute to mental health problems such as depression and can also affect your self-esteem.
The causes of obesity
Obesity is a complex issue with many causes. Obesity and overweight occur when unused calories (energy), particularly those from foods high in fat and sugar are stored in the body as fat.
Obesity is becoming more prevalent in our modern-day Western type lifestyle because of our living environments makes it difficult for many to eat healthy and get enough physical exercise. Genetics can also have an effect for some, as it affects how the body processes food and stores the fat.
In some cases, underlying health conditions can also contribute to weight gain, such as an underactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), although these types of conditions can usually be effectively treated with medications, so they shouldn’t be contributing factors.
Some medications can also make people more prone to weight gain such as anabolic steroids and some blood pressure, diabetes or mental health medications.
Obesity treatments
The most effective way to treat obesity is to adjust your diet by eating healthy, reduced calorie meals and drinks, and to follow a regular exercise routine.
Your GP can normally recommend you a balanced, calorie controlled diet or you could seek the help of weight loss health professional such as a dietician, and take up regular physical activities such as fast walking, jogging, swimming or tennis for at least 2,5 to 5 hours a week.
A trained healthcare professional could also offer you support and counselling to help you better understand your relationship with food and help develop healthier eating habits, or you can join a local weight management program with group meetings.
Other obesity-related problems
Living with obesity can cause a number of further problems, including difficulties with daily activities and serious health conditions.
Daily activities
Day-to-day problems related to obesity include breathlessness, increased sweating, snoring, difficulty performing physical activities, exhaustion, joint and back pain, low confidence and self-esteem and feeling isolated.
The psychological problems associated with obesity can also affect your relationships with family and friends, and could often lead to depression.
Serious health conditions
Living with obesity can also increase your risk of developing many potentially serious health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and atherosclerosis (where fatty deposits narrow your arteries), which can lead to coronary heart disease and strokes, asthma, metabolic syndrome (a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity), several types of cancers (bowel cancer, breast cancer and womb cancer), gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD, where stomach acids leak out of the stomach and into the gullet), gallstones, reduced fertility, osteoarthritis (a condition involving pain and stiffness in your joints), sleep apnoea (a condition that causes interrupted breathing during sleep, which can lead to daytime sleepiness with an increased risk of road traffic accidents, as well as a greater risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease), liver and kidney diseases and pregnancy complications (such as gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia, when a woman experiences a potentially dangerous rise in blood pressure during pregnancy), to name a few.
Obesity also reduces your life expectancy by an average of 3 to 10 years, depending on the severity.
Outlook
Managing a complex issue like obesity can be hard as losing weight takes time and commitment.
The healthcare professionals involved with your care can provide encouragement and advice about how to manage your weight, build healthy lifestyle habits and maintain your weight losses achieved. Completing a weight management programme, regularly monitoring your weight, setting realistic goals, and involving your friends and family with ways to lose weight and emotional support can also help.
It’s important to remember that losing what seems minimal, such as 3% or more of your original body weight, and maintaining this, can significantly reduce your risk of developing obesity-related complications.
Munchies4U does not provide professional dietary advice. If you or someone you care for has special dietary requirements, medical needs or an eating disorder, please seek advice from a registered healthcare professional.
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