As South Africa commemorated February as National Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Month and Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Day on February 20, the Gauteng Department of Health raised serious concern about the growing obesity crisis and its direct link to the rise in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke and heart disease.
Recent data show that approximately half of South African adults are living with excess weight, with 23% classified as overweight and 27% as obese.
In an urban province like Gauteng, long working hours, sedentary lifestyles, limited physical activity, and increased consumption of processed foods, coupled with alcohol and tobacco use, are accelerating the rise of chronic illnesses and contributing to the earlier onset of disease.
According to the department, Gauteng recorded more than 67 000 newly detected cases of hypertension, including over 25 000 cases among adults aged 18 to 44 and approximately 42 000 cases among those aged 45 years and older in the past 12 months.
The department stated that this reflects a worrying trend of younger people developing high blood pressure, a condition previously more common among older adults.
The department said that during the same period, more than 8.7 million adults were screened for hypertension across the province, with ward-based outreach teams playing a critical role in community screening, early detection and referral.
Diabetes prevalence in Gauteng currently stands at approximately 12%. While the province has achieved a 67% diabetes control rate among patients on treatment, exceeding the provincial target of 65%, the department said that it remains concerned that many people are still undiagnosed and at risk of serious complications, including stroke, heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and amputations.
“Long-term trends further highlight the scale of the problem, with hypertension prevalence having increased significantly over the years from 29% to 49% among men and from 34% to 51% among women. Without urgent lifestyle changes, the burden of preventable diseases will continue to place pressure on families, communities and the public healthcare system,” said the health department.
Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has called on residents to take proactive steps to protect their health by joining the department’s ongoing #AsibeHealthyGP campaign.
“The rising levels of preventable chronic illnesses are threatening the health and productivity of our province. Prevention starts with each one of us. I call on all Gauteng residents to join our #AsibeHealthyGP campaign and participate in Wellness Wednesdays by dedicating a few minutes every Wednesday to physical activity. We also encourage corporates and private companies to support this initiative by allowing employees time to exercise at the workplace,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko.
In line with the World Health Organisation’s recommendation that adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, the department emphasised that maintaining a healthy weight through balanced nutrition, regular physical activity, reduced alcohol consumption, avoiding tobacco use and routine health screening remains the most effective way to prevent NCDs.
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