672m People Affected With Obesity – Africa Increasing Faster Than Any Other Region – FAO

By Wisdom Peter,

Reports has it that, 672 million people in the world is affected by Obesity, while Africa’s statistics is growing faster than any other region, according to The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), terming it “fastest rising incidences of obesity in African.”

The Director-General of FAO, Mr Graziano da Silva made this known at the 160th session of the FAO Council in
Rome, citing the “2018 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World” report.

Graziano da Silva said that, “obesity affects around 672 million people, with Africa increasing faster than any other region.

“Obesity affects millions of people, and several billion suffer from diseases caused by vitamin- or mineral-deficient diets, known as micronutrient deficiencies,” he added.

The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) notes in the report that, The UN agriculture chief, therefore, called for “transformative changes to our food systems.

“The coexistence of undernutrition, obesity and micronutrient deficiencies – what we know as the
triple burden of malnutrition – is spreading and affecting almost every country in the world.

“The international community needs to urgently address this situation by promoting transformative change in our food systems.

“Our Zero Hunger Goal is not just about feeding people, but also providing everyone with the necessary nutrients for a healthy life.”

According to research, Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive food intake , lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility. A few cases are caused primarily by genes,
endocrine disorders, medications, or mental disorder.

Obesity also increases the likelihood of various diseases and conditions, particularly cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis and
depression.