Story by Abigirl Tembo, Health Editor
A growing trend of childhood obesity in Zimbabwe is sounding alarm bells among health experts who warn of severe long-term health consequences if left unchecked.
Latest statistics from the 2024 ZimLAC Survey reveal that more than 5% of children in Zimbabwe are overweight, with a higher prevalence in urban areas at 7.4% compared to rural areas at 4.5%
The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2023 also reported that over 6% of children under the age of five are overweight, while more than 3 % are obese.
According to nutritionist Dr Nyasha Grace Mushonga, the prevalence of childhood obesity in Zimbabwe is a cause for concern.
“Overweight among children is not a very good sign of a healthy future population because these are the people who are going to be the adults of tomorrow,” Dr Mushonga said.
“What it means when one is overweight, you have more cells than you should have, and when we lose weight, the cells only shrink but they do not decrease in number. This only means that the potential to regain that weight is there. That is why you find adults who try to do weight-losing programmes, after a few months or a few weeks, they regain because the cells are still there, and the potential to gain weight is there.
“The same thing applies to children, when they have so many cells, they are not going to go away because you are losing weight, but they will be enlarged as one gains weight.
“So we say let us teach these children at an early age the correct ways of eating food. We know as parents the way we manifest love to our children is very different, some parents think if the child says I want this, and you give them, you are loving them. But that is not the issue. You need to teach these children how to eat properly.”
Dr Mushonga attributed the rise in childhood obesity to a combination of factors, including poor eating habits.
To address the issue of obesity, the government and health experts are calling for a comprehensive approach that involves education, awareness, and community-based initiatives.
The long-term health consequences of childhood obesity are severe and include an increased risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer.
