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A study in South Africa has identified certain factors that contribute to obesity in SA families. It’s not our food, but rather our choices and behavior that is the root cause of many health conditions, particularly in teenagers. A recent article in the Mail & Guardian stated that South Africans are dying due to diseases with little to no symptoms. These are dietary related conditions that might well have been prevented.

 These are the statistics, according to the  M & G:

61% of the population is overweight, obese or morbidly obese; and

70% of South African women over the age of 35 and

59% of black women over the age of 15 are overweight or obese.

25% of South Africans over the age of 15 years suffer from hypertension.

25% of teens and 17% of children younger than nine years of age are also classed as overweight or obese.

78% of obese and 52% of morbidly obese South Africans believe they are perfectly healthy.

Many of us are eating well, but still struggling to keep off the weight. Let’s look at some of the mindsets and tendencies that are common to South African families.

1. We are oblivious to the quantities of salt, sugar and fat

We are also ignorant of the fact that many foods, beverages and sweets contain some icky preservatives, artificial colorants and flavorants. Read more about it here.

2. We assume healthy eating is expensive

That doesn’t have to be the case. Cutting down on processed foods, sugar, red meat, oils and fats can be budget friendly and budget friendly. You can even just change from frying and roasting to grilling and steaming and make a big difference. What would you say if I told you that you could enjoy 21 breakfasts and lunches for only *R470?

3. We let our children decide on the dinner menu

Many kids are picky eaters and as busy parents it is sometimes easier to just let the kids say what they will eat. My son doesn’t eat anything green, except apples and lettuce. However, he loves onions and recently started enjoying tomatoes too. If I let him decide what to cook, we will alternate between hot dogs and pizza every night. Instead, I make casseroles and other meals that allow me to sneak vegetables in. He loves spinach ravioli, but will never eat spinach in any other way.

4. We love our carbohydrates!

Rys, vleis en aartappels…. (rice, meat and potatoes) – That’s the life! Sadly, they are all very high on the GI scale, especially as a combination. Protein contains much more nutrition and amino acids that aid weight loss.

5. We have a reactive approach to dietary disease

We wait until we develop diabetes or heart disease before we change our ways. We know that prevention is better than cure, but the problem is that we don’t realize the magnitude of dietary decisions on our health. Up to 80% of medical conditions are rooted in a lack of nutrition. Our foods lack nutrition and people don’t realize that they have to supplement. We need to become pro-active by making positive dietary changes in order to prevent disease.

6. We lack fiber

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a study that analysed teenagers between 14-18 years of age to study their fiber intake. They found that only 1% of the teenagers received the right amount of dietary fiber. Those who don’t get enough fiber are at risk of diabetes and heart disease and they have higher levels of inflammatory factors in their blood streams. They also had larger bellies.  What would you say if I told you that you could enjoy 21 healthy breakfasts and lunches with the right amount of daily fiber intake for only R470*?

Even the poorest of poor South Africans are taking advantage

Some Herbalife distributors in who live near rural areas have started taking good health to the poorest of poor, through nutritional club initiatives. People in these areas live on pap (grits, for our American readers) and little else.

However, they have latched onto the opportunity to feed their bodies healthy food, in the form of a Healthy Breakfast. Every morning, the Herbalife distributors would provide them with a cup of protein shake, a cup of Herbal Aloe and a glass of Herbal Beverage for R40 a day.

They have seen incredible results from the optimum nutrition and many of them have found the money to buy their own full products after a week on the products. Some have been able to return to work as their energy and good health improved to such an extent that a farmer, who employs some of them, has decided to sponsor all his workers. The results speak for themselves.

This goes to show the truth in that old adage:

“You don’t know what you have until you lose it”

These people have lost their good health due to poor nutrition and a lack of proper nutrition education. The nutritional clubs educate them on nutrition and how to eat healthily on a low budget. Nutrition doesn’t have to be expensive.

So I’ll ask you once more… Do you value your health?

Add up how much you spend on breakfast and lunch for 21 days:

• that coffee that gives you a 10-minute burst of energy
• that tiny bowl of cereal (8 servings per box – you’ll need about 2-3 boxes a month) with 400 kcal and more nutrition in the box than in the cereal

• that pie / muffin at the cafeteria or tuck shop at 10
• that sandwich at lunchtime with an energy drink because you’re tired after lunch
• the sweets and chocolates at afternoon tea-time to get you through the last few hours

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