Cape Town - South African children were at increased risk of being diagnosed with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and high blood pressure at tender ages.
The warning was made as food health organisations observed World Obesity Day on Monday, and raised concern about the sporadic increase of child obesity in the country.
Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) warned there was a surge of deaths from NCDs globally, and within the perimeters of the country: from 1997 to 2018, 60% of deaths were related to NCDs.
This called for a sense of urgency in providing solutions and prevention methods to deter an increase in childhood high blood pressure and diabetes.
The African Centre for Obesity Prevention (ACTION) shared that children were vulnerable to an obesogenic environment.
Children with overweight parents, and those who were subject to malnutrition during pregnancy or infancy, were further prone to obesity in their adult life.
In South Africa, one in eight children is overweight, which was double the global average.
“The food industry spends billions of rand every year to reach children with their product marketing. They also aggressively lobby against public health policies aimed at promoting good health. We know the food industry would not spend billions of rand fighting public health interventions that are not effective,” said Nzama Mbalati, acting interim CEO on HEALA.
In a report, ACTION found that in 2025, 3.91 million children were expected to be overweight and obese, posing a high risk of obesity in young girls.
The report further elaborated that a national survey had been conducted, showing that 14.2% of schoolchildren were overweight and that 30% of girls from urban areas were obese.
“It is unfortunate that the government perpetuates the notion that public health interventions should first and foremost have economic benefits. We believe that the people’s well-being and dignity should be enough of a reason to push forward with solid regulations,” said Mbalati.
When childhood obesity is not controlled, children are also prone to diseases related to NCDs.
ACTION stated that of the 3.91 million children, 123 000 children will have impaired glucose tolerance; 68 000 with overt diabetes; 460 000 with high blood pressure; and 637 000 with the first stage of fatty liver disease.