CAPPA warns of rising Obesity rates in Nigeria, Urges Government action against junk food

As World Obesity Day (WOD) is observed, the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) raises concerns that over 33 million Nigerians are classified as overweight.

Analyzing the figures reveals that over 21 million individuals are overweight, while 12 million obese individuals aged 15 and above have been identified.

In a communication from its Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, the organization reiterated the necessity for comprehensive healthy food policies aimed at enhancing local diets and addressing the escalating obesity rates and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country.

It called on government officials at all levels to address the concerning trend of food corporations saturating the market with unhealthy, ultra-processed food products that are marketed to children and other segments of Nigeria’s large youth population, to the detriment of their health and traditional nutritious diets.

CAPPA highlighted that these junk foods are associated with overweight and obesity, noting that the crisis of unhealthy diets is leading to significant losses in manpower and productivity due to hospitalizations and chronic disabilities among NCD sufferers. Citing the World Health Organization (WHO), it mentioned that obese children have a higher likelihood of developing severe health issues such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and other respiratory conditions, sleep disorders, and liver diseases.

“Addressing obesity is essential for alleviating the burden of additional chronic non-communicable diseases, emphasizing the need to increase the SSB tax – a health-promoting levy – to N130 per litre, with the revenue directed towards the healthcare sector,” Oluwafemi stated.

According to the World Obesity Federation (WOF), by 2035, 1.9 billion individuals, or one in four, will be living with obesity, which could cost the global economy around $4.32 trillion, doubling the amount estimated for 2010. Alarmingly, a 100 percent rise in childhood obesity is predicted between 2020 and 2035.