‘Globesity’: Global obesity epidemic |01 March 2024

Obesity remains one of the most elusive public health problems of our time. Even though it is not a new topic, it is still important therefore to talk about it as we feel that it is often ‘under the radar’. Obesity is now a global epidemic, with millions of people around the world living with this condition. From the very young to the very old, no one is spared.

But what appears on the surface as simply ‘someone who is big’, carries with it a much heavier burden of non-communicable diseases and other health complications, with high health and economic cost. Obesity however has almost become ‘normalised’ in today’s society, so much so that many individuals who are classified as obese do not perceive it to be a real health problem. Except of course when they start to experience health complications which may happen many years down the line.

As a way of creating even more awareness about this condition, every year on March 4, the world comes together to commemorate ‘World Obesity Day’ which is convoked by the World Obesity Federation (WOF). The campaign theme for this year is ‘Let's Talk About Obesity And...’  

World Obesity Federation (WOF) wants to harness the momentum from previous campaigns done over the years to advance the obesity discussions across countries and continents with a focus on areas like health, youth and our environment and what can be done to collectively address obesity.

There is a need to move beyond just talking about causes and treatment but also look at ways that we can disseminate knowledge, push for greater advocacy and see obesity from a different viewpoint. We must consequently continue to bring visibility to this topic as a way of generating interest and hopefully keep the conversation going.

Putting obesity into context

We want to start off by defining what obesity is so that you understand that it isn’t just about a person’s body size. Part of raising awareness on this condition is to stop weight stigmatisation. We must set aside our own biases and recognise that it is not related to a person’s body shape, as everyone is unique and built differently.

Obesity is defined as a complex chronic condition that results from abnormal or excessive accumulation of body fat to the point that it negatively impairs a person’s health. The emphasis is on the physical and mental health challenges that result from obesity – not how the person looks.

At population level, body mass index (BMI), which involves measurement of weight and height, is used to classify an individual as obese. If a person has a BMI value of 30 or above, they are then considered to be obese. BMI however has certain limitations and may not be useful with certain individuals such as those who are unable to stand, those who are muscular and children unless reference indicators which consider their age and gender are used.

If someone has a lot of fat accumulation in the abdominal area, which is commonly known as ‘central obesity’, it is better to use a waist circumference measurement. In this measurement a measuring tape is used to measure the girth of a person’s waist. A woman is considered at increased risk of health complications if her waist circumference is above 80cm and a man is at increased health risk if his waist circumference is above 94cm.

Causes of obesity

When it comes to causes of obesity, many people tend to think of obesity as hereditary. While a person’s genetics may increase their susceptibility of developing obesity, the majority of the time it is their environment which plays a much bigger role. This results from increased intake of highly processed foods that are high in sugar and saturated fats, alongside sedentary behaviours and lack of physical activity.

Rarely, someone may also become obese due to certain metabolic conditions such as Cushing syndrome or Prader-Willi syndrome. Other times it can be a side-effect of using certain medications such as steroids for a long time.

Consequences of obesity

The excessive fat accumulation which occurs in obesity is due to extra energy (calories) which is not being used and being stored in fat cells. Over time the fat cells become enlarged to accommodate more fat deposition. These enlarged fat cells release hormones and other chemicals that leads to an inflammatory process throughout the body.

Chronic inflammation leads to insulin resistance, which means that your body becomes less efficient in using up insulin and regulating your blood glucose (sugar) or lipid (fat) levels. High blood sugar and high blood lipid levels also leads to high blood pressure. The combined effects of obesity, insulin resistance, high blood lipids and high blood pressure is known as the metabolic syndrome. This is a set of risk factors which increases your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. They also make it more difficult to lose weight or sustain weight loss.

As your condition worsens you also have an increased risk of developing non-communicable diseases like type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, kidney disease, gallstones and certain cancers such as breast and colorectal cancers. You may also experience other complications such as musculoskeletal problems, osteoarthritis, back pain, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, disruptive sleeping patterns and infertility. Your mental health may also be impacted with greater susceptibility to depression, anxiety, mood disorders, low self-esteem and poor memory.

Tackling obesity

Up until now there is no one country which has been able to completely reverse obesity or come with a long-term solution to this health problem. However, there are many good practices and shared experiences which may be useful at the broader societal level. Despite these often being more effective, they are also more complex to implement as it may involve multiple actors, at times with conflicting interests.

At an individual level however we can already start thinking about what kinds of changes we can make for ourselves. This includes making healthier dietary choices and choosing more fresh and minimally processed foods, reducing our intake of highly processed and fast foods, engaging in more regular physical activity, sitting less and getting up often for a walk, choosing more outdoor activities. At the end of the day we need to start making a change to start seeing results.

The bottom line

Like many other countries around the world, Seychelles has a high prevalence of obesity among children, adolescents and adults. With the launch of the Obesity Campaign and Obesity Plan by the President, in the last quarter of 2023, it is important to remind everyone that obesity remains a national problem, not only the government’s. Each and every one of us should see ourselves as a change agent in our community and use our voice to ‘talk about obesity’ and look for solutions together. Think about what you can do today to help a friend, a colleague, a family member or your community to address this seemingly endless health problem. 

Thank you for joining us this week on our Eat for Our Health page. Look us up on Social Media - Eat for our Health Seychelles on Facebook.

Please get in touch by emailing eat4ourhealth@gmail.com and let us know how you’re doing with these ideas, or better still, let us know how we can help you.

Yours in health

The Nutrition Team