Obesity study uncovers curious oddities
Baboki Kayawe | Thursday October 26, 2017 15:40
The study, conducted by eight researchers, involved 1,178 participants aged over 15 years from across the country’s towns, cities and villages. The study defined obesity as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher, while overweight was defined as a BMI of between 25 and 29.9.
BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women.
Presenting the results at the Non-Communicable Diseases conference yesterday, University of Botswana PhD student in the Department of Population Studies, Mpho Keetile said the study had found that 23.6% of the sample was overweight while 18.6% were classified as obese.
Within the sample, 9.2 percent of male participants were classified as obese, compared to 24.2% of females.
“In Botswana, overweight and obesity are increasingly becoming a problem. So, understanding the socioeconomic and behavioural determinants of overweight and obesity is essential,” Keetile told the conference, which ends today.
The study also uncovered oddities, which run against widely held perceptions around obesity and income. The study found that 23.5% of unemployed participants were obese, while 30.4% of those employed in the public sector were overweight.
Those participants classified through methodology as poor had the highest rates of obesity at 22.1%, while those classified as ‘richest’ had the highest rate of overweight at 25.1%.
“The odds of obesity are against unemployed people because they spend most of the time eating and doing nothing,” Keetile told Mmegi on the sidelines of the conference.
In terms of location, overweight was highest among respondents residing in rural areas, cities and towns at 23%, while obesity was highest amongst rural area dwellers.
In terms of education level attained, overweight was also highest amongst those with tertiary or higher education while obesity was highest among those with primary or lower education.
Daily smokers, particularly females, were more prone to being overweight and obese, the study found.
“Hazardous drinking is also identified as a significant determinant of overweight and obesity. We recommend the need to strengthen programmes and activities that encourage good diet, nutrition and physical activity,” Keetile said.