Chief Executive Officer of Solis Hospital, Dr Ebo Daniels, has raised concerns about the growing prevalence of overweight and obesity among Ghanaians, arguing that the figures point to a worrying pattern of excessive food consumption and inadequate physical activity.
Dr Daniels intimated that the increasing number of Ghanaians who are either overweight or obese should not be viewed merely as an issue of appearance or body size but as a significant public health concern with implications for several chronic and preventable conditions.
Speaking on The Healthy Living Project on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, September 7, Dr Daniels cited findings from a 2023 World Health Organisation (WHO) survey, which he said showed that nearly half of Ghanaian women and one in five Ghanaian men are either overweight or obese.
He said that the statistics translate into a significant proportion of the adult population being exposed to health risks associated with excess body weight.
“The WHO did a survey in 2023 which they called the STEP survey and it revealed that almost 50 percent of women in Ghana are either overweight or obese and then 20 percent of men are overweight or obese so statistically, if you want to look at it in terms of ratio, it means one in five men are overweight or obese and also one in two women are overweight or obese and these are gory statistics.
“Obesity influences your high blood pressure, obesity influences your blood cholesterol, obesity influences your sugar and it can even come with arthritis, gout, and metabolic conditions that are totally preventable.
“When you have a population that is moving towards that trajectory, what it tells you is that we are overeating. We are simply overeating. It means that when we eat, we use less of the energy for metabolism, for our physical activity and other important functions.”
The Healthy Living Project is powered by Channel One TV and Citi FM, and it’s proudly sponsored by the National Health Insurance Authority and Synlab.
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