This archive report was first published on 7 July 2019.
Published on July 7, 2019, medical experts from Kenya, India, and Uganda are sounding the alarm on the growing global obesity pandemic.
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 700 million people out of 1 billion overweight people globally suffer from obesity.
Speaking at a medical symposium organized by Mount Kenya University in Nairobi, the medics emphasized the need for concerted efforts to help control obesity globally.
Dr. Roslyne Ngugi, MKU head of International medicine, stated that about 1.9 billion people are considered overweight across the world, with 650 million suffering from obesity.
Dr. Ngugi, who is also the Secretary of Kenya Diabetes Study Group, urged stakeholders to come together to contain the pandemic, citing the risks associated with obesity, including cancer, stroke, and heart attack.
“Obesity is clearly a big problem,” Dr. Ngugi said, adding that it exposes people to other diseases.
She emphasized the importance of creating awareness on lifestyle diseases and how to manage them, recommending regular screening, a balanced diet, and regular exercise.
Dr. Ngugi also highlighted the alarming rate of child obesity in Kenya, which has increased from 4% to 21% in just five years.
Mount Kenya University has taken the initiative to educate the public on lifestyle diseases, and Dr. Ngugi encouraged those with obesity challenges to visit hospitals for advice on how to manage the condition.
MKU co-founder and board member Jane Nyutu expressed the university's commitment to supplementing the Jubilee Administration in realizing the National Universal Health Care Provision.
