Obesity
About Obesity
Share articles about obesity
What is Obesity?
ACTION’s research is organised around answering three critical questions that are essential to understanding the current state of Africa’s obesity crisis and the strategies necessary to improve it.
- What is the state of obesity prevalence in Africa?
- How well is society addressing the prevalence of obesity?
- How do we best dedicate resources to maximise health improvement?
The vast majority of overweight or obese children live in developing countries, where the rate of increase has been more than 30% higher than that of developed countries. Studies have found that without intervention, children and adolescents with obesity will likely continue to be obese into adulthood. In babies, studies have shown that exclusive breastfeeding from birth to 6 months of age reduces the risk of infants becoming overweight or obese.
How Does Obesity Exist?
Obesity is generally caused by eating too much and moving too little.
What Causes Obesity?
The term obese describes a person who's very overweight, with a lot of body fat. In some cases, underlying medical conditions may contribute to weight gain. These include: an under-active thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) – where your thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones Cushing's syndrome – a rare disorder that causes the over-production of steroid hormones
Symptoms of Obesity
There are many reasons why some people have difficulty avoiding obesity. Usually, obesity results from a combination of inherited factors, combined with the environment and personal diet and exercise choices.
Effects of Obesity
Obesity also negatively impacts health-related quality of life. Numerous studies have shown a relationship between excess body weight and decreases in quality of life.
Facts About Obesity
Fact Sheet - Obesity is preventable
ACTION
African Centre for Obesity Prevention
PARTNERS
Join our growing list of partners, including:
Preventing obesity for a healthier tomorrow
Business Hours
- Mon - Fri
- -
- Sat - Sun
- Closed
About Us
Contact
Office:
+27 10 447 3721
E-mail: