Obesity, overweight conditions could be next pandemic in Kenya-KDHS report

According to the Kenya Demographic Data (2022), which was recently released, obesity is on the rise, particularly among affluent women.

In contrast to 26% of women without any education, the ten-year survey found that 50% of women aged 20 to 49 with at least a secondary education are either obese or overweight.

Felix Odero, a nutritionist, said on Citizen TV Day Daybreak that overweight is having more body weight than is considered healthy, usually with a body mass index greater or equal to 25, while obesity is excessive fat accumulation that puts a person's health at risk.

A woman is more likely to be obese if she lives in an urban area, according to the KDHS survey, which found that 43% of women in the 20-49 age range who reported being overweight or obese, compared to 39% in rural areas.

“This data is something that we should be concerned about because 45 percent is not a small margin, it's almost half the population interviewed in the survey. We should look for solutions to combat this menace because it poses a huge health risk of chronic illness like hypertension, diabetes just to name a few,” he explained.

He added that unhealthy eating habits, hormonal changes, and activity-related factors all have a greater impact on women than they do on men.

“Obesity is caused by genetics, diet and lifestyle inactivity practices. Remember childhood obesity leads to adulthood obesity that's why it is paramount for parents to maintain healthy practices from when a child is young. We also have medical conditions that can lead to obesity like stress and depression, medication like steroid, antidepressant and thyroid issues,” he explained

He pointed out that increasing physical activity and adopting healthy eating habits will help to lessen the surge.

The World Health Organization (WHO) asserts that being overweight or obese has a detrimental effect on one's health. Both pose significant risks for a number of chronic illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.