“South Africans are amongst the world’s fattest” report The Guardian UK.
A report by The Guardian reveals that South Africans are amongst the world’s fattest people – and, worse still, that most South Africans are in denial about this.
Quoting an independent survey, The Guardian reports that:
61% of South Africans are “overweight, obese or morbidly obese”
BUT
Only 34% of South Africans consider themselves as overweight or obese.
The survey also found that:
78% of obese South Africans think they are “somewhat healthy” or “very healthy”
52% of morbidly obese South Africans think they are “somewhat healthy” or “very healthy”
71% have never used a diet / eating plan to aid with controlling their weight
In South African cities the survey found that:
72% of Cape Townians are overweight (*)
68% of Pretoria residents are overweight (*)
59% of Johannesburg residents are overweight (*)
52% of Durban residents are overweight (*)
(* based on the survey respondents)
The survey represented “about 80% of South Africans from all classes and races” and was based on face-to-face interviews.
“People are in denial and don’t realise how overweight they are,” the newspaper quoted as a spokesperson for the survey as saying.
“When they are overweight they consider themselves as healthy.”
