48% of South African adults have a higher than ideal mass. 32% are classified as overweight and 16% are classified as obese. (World Health Organisation, 2006)
This week’s theme: Health in South Africa
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How does South Africa compare to other countries on the fat scale?
SA is not alone:
“WHO estimated that globally in 2005:
* approximately 1.6 billion adults (age 15+) were overweight;
* at least 400 million adults were obese.
WHO further projects that by 2015, approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese.
At least 20 million children under the age of 5 years are overweight globally in 2005.”
Source: Obesity and overweight, WHO fact-sheet No. 311
What is meant by ideal mass. If the reference is to body mass index, then this fact is probably meaningless. If I were drop down to the recommended weight I’d be back where I was when I was in Grade eight.
The BMI cut-offs used by the WHO are not a precise measure of health.
BMI is a tool used to determine healthy weight according to a person’s height and weight (without taking into account age, body fat, blood pressure and other important factors).
Exact measurements aside, being overweight or obese contributes to greater health risks. For that matter, being underweight comes with its own set of risks.