South African Obesity At American Levels - Guardian

[hatrack]

"South Africans have grown as fat as Americans, partly because they associate slimness with HIV/Aids, researchers said yesterday. More than half of black women in South Africa are overweight or obese, as are a third of black men, an epidemic on a par with that in the US.

Diseases associated with obesity, such as diabetes, were as grave a problem as malnutrition and urgent steps were needed to avert a public health crisis, it was claimed.

The first international conference on obesity held in Africa heard that a reduction in physical exercise and the spread of western eating habits, including the consumption of junk food, compounded the problem.

Findings from the conference, which wound up last week in the South African resort of Sun City, will be presented to the World Health Organisation by December."

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1341922,00.html