Obesity is South Africa’s new HIV epidemic

• Published in: South African medical journal 2024-03, Vol.114 (3), p.1-4
• Main Authors: Chandiwana, Nomathemba, Venter, W D Francois, Manne-Goehler, Jennifer M, Wade, Alisha, le Roux, Carel W, Mbalati, Nzama Lawrence, Grimbeek, Angelika, Kruger, Petronell, Montsho, Eunice, Zimela, Zukiswa, Yawa, Anele, Tshabalala, Sibongile, Rambau, Ndivhuwo, Mpofu, Ngqabutho, Stevenson, Sasha, McNulty, Bridget, Ntusi, Ntobeko A B, Pillay, Yogan, Dave, Joel A, Murphy, Angela, Goldstein, Sue, Hofman, Karen, Mahomedy, Sameera, Thomas, Elizabeth, Mrara, Busi, Wing, Jeff Wing, Lubbe, Jeanne, Koto, Zack, Conradie-Smit, Marli, Wharton, Sean, May, Wayne, Marr, Ian, Kaplan, Hilton, Forgan, Mariam, Alexander, Graham, Turner, J S, Fourie, V R, Hellig, Jocelyn Ann, Banks, Mandy, Ragsdale, K E, Noeth, M, Mohamed, Farzahna, Myer, Landon, Lebina, Limakatso, Maswime, Salome, Moosa, Yunus, Thomas, Teressa Sumy, Mbelle, Mzamo, Sinxadi, Phumla, Bekker, Linda-Gail, Bhana, Sindeep, Fabian, June, Decloedt, Eric, Bayat, Zaheer, Daya, Reyna, Bobat, Bilal, Storie, Fiona, Goedecke, Julia H, Kahn, Kathleen, Tollman, Stephen, Mansfield, Brett, Siedner, Mark J, Marconi, Vincent C, Mody, Aaloke, Mtshali, Ntombifikile Nokwethemba, Geng, Elvin, Srinivasa, Suman, Ali, Mohammed K, Lalla-Edward, Samanta, Bentley, Alison, Wolvaardt, Gustaaf, Hill, Andrew, Nel, Jeremy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Forecasts and trends; Healthy food; Obesity; Obesity, HIV; Risk factors
• ISSN: 0256-9574; 2078-5135
• DOI: 10.7196/SAMJ.2024.v114i4.1927

World Obesity Day is on 4 March 2024, and our nation needs to pay attention. As with the HIV epidemic in the 1990s, we are facing a calamitous threat to the health of the population that has been ignored for too long. Weight-related diseases have eclipsed tuberculosis (TB) and HIV as leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Over two-thirds of South African (SA) women are overweight or are living with obesity.[1] For example, type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease, conditions all directly linked to the disease of obesity, account for three of the top four causes of death nationally and incur massive health system costs.[2,3] Moreover, excess weight gain has deleterious effects far beyond cardiovascular disease risk, with evidence strongly linking it to poor pregnancy outcomes, cancer, liver and kidney disease, mental illness, and sleep disorders.[4,5]