If you live in Cape Town and a member of the Discovery rewards programme, Vitality, chances are you are within a healthy weight range.
But if you are a Vitality member living in Gqeberha, you’re more likely to be in a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) weight range.
This is according to the results of the Vitality ObeCity Index 2023 which, based on data from Vitality members living in six cities across SA, paints a picture of the possible extent of the obesity epidemic in SA.
The ObeCity healthy weight ranking, revealed on 1 March 2023 in Sandton ahead of World Obesity Day, lists the healthiest to least healthy cities as follows:
- Cape Town
- Johannesburg
- Durban
- Pretoria
- Bloemfontein
- Gqeberha
“We analysed almost 300 000 Vitality Health Checks completed across South Africa in 2022 to rank the cities according to the proportion of Vitality members who have a healthy weight,” said Discovery Vitality CEO Dinesh Govender.
Discovery also tracked healthy food purchases and determined that Cape Town members had the highest percentage of healthy food purchases, while those in Pretoria had the least.
However, while Johannesburg did not fare well on the scale, the City of Gold did have the highest percentage of members logging a workout, while Bloemfontein had the lowest.
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More women than men are overweight or obese, according to the index. “In South Africa, 31% of men, 68% of women and about 13% of children under five years old are overweight or obese,” the study report reads, highlighting that the “weight issue we’re facing worries us because being overweight or obese increases the risk of people developing illnesses or non-communicable diseases.
“These include type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. It also increases the risk of premature death.”
Why are South African women heavier?
“Obesity affects men and women differently, due to biological, socioeconomic and cultural disparities, but in general, the condition is more prevalent among women,” explains Rene Schickerling, Women’s Health Category Manager for Pharma Dynamics.
“Obesity is a complex disease, and many factors play a role, such as genes, metabolism, age, medicine, sleep, diet, inactivity and so forth.”
Obesity prevalence among women is expected to rise by 47,7% in females and by 23,3% in men by 2025, according to Pharma Dynamics.
“If younger women don’t start trimming down, they could become the first generation in the country’s history to live shorter lives than their mothers. It’s imperative that we change the course of the obesity epidemic,” warns Rene.
- Eat whole foods.
- Avoid highly processed foods.
- Avoid or limit consumption of sugary foods and drinks.
- Avoid or limit alcohol consumption.
- Exercise. The World Health Organisation recommends “adults aged 18-64 years should do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity; or at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week.”
- Control your food portions.
- Get at least 7-8 hours per night.
GET HELP HERE:
– Some medications can contribute to weight gain. If you suspect this may be the case, speak to your doctor about possibly switching you to a different brand of medications.
– There are pharmacological interventions for patients who fit the criteria to access these ‘weight-loss drugs’ that suppress appetite. Ask your doctor about them.
– Join weight loss programmes such as Fight the Flab with YOU or the Vitality HealthyWeight programme.
