Obesity increased by 40% among women from 2003 to 2014 – Study

A group of researchers have called for policies to restrict the advertisement of foods in the country as they reveal obesity among Ghanaian women increased from 25 to 40 per cent within 2003 and 2014.

According to the group, the development is worrying suggesting the streamlining of advertisement of food in Ghana to ensure safety in the meals consumed.

Speaking to Starr News at a forum in Accra Monday, a senior lecturer at the University of Ghana and one of the lead researchers Dr Amos Laar said the promotion of unhealthy food is one factor that has contributed to the increase in obesity rate among women in Ghana.

He said “promotion of unhealthy food. Such promotion of course have good reason, as a public health practitioner, as a researcher, we do have evidence that promotion in unhealthy matter lead to consumption of these energy dense nutrients poor food that will lead to overweight, obesity and nutrition related non-chronic diseases.

“In a spate of 10 years, from 2003 to 2014, data from nationally representative surveys like the demographic and health survey indicated that overweight or obesity has increased from 25 to 40% among Ghanaian women”.

He noted “so we have to be concerned about these, and some of the actions that were identified and prioritised when implemented by Government of Ghana, with other stakeholders will help in improving our food environment and addressing our over-weight, obesity and nutrition related non communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases.”

He added “It is one of the actions that the stakeholders prioritize. I wholly support what the stakeholder’s identify and prioritize. The research team including myself do wholly support those recommendations.”