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Almost 50% of adult South Africans are overweight or obese. Poverty and poor nutrition are largely to blame

Almost 50% of adult South Africans are overweight or obese. Poverty and poor nutrition are largely to blame

MALNUTRITION, in all its forms, includes undernutrition (wasting, stunting, underweight), inadequate vitamins or minerals, overweight and obesity. South Africa has undergone a nutritional transition over the past 30 years characterised by the triple burden of malnutrition: households are simultaneously experiencing undernutrition, hidden hunger, and overweight or obesity due to nutrient-poor diets. Results of the first in-depth, nationwide study into food and nutrition since 1994, the National Food and Nutrition Security Survey, found almost half the adult population of South Africa were overweight or obese. While there was sufficient food to feed everyone through domestic production and imports, many families and…
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Can the COVID-19 crisis help reboot urban food in Africa?

Can the COVID-19 crisis help reboot urban food in Africa?

GEOFFREY MAKHUBO and MARK WATTS THE COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis, but for millions of people it is also a local food crisis. City lockdowns, stalled supply chains and closed borders have all limited the flow of food from farms to consumers. School closures and rising unemployment mean millions of people are missing out on sufficient, healthy and nutritious meals. The African Union projects that 20 million jobs are at risk on the continent as a result of the pandemic. The Department of Statistics South Africa estimates that food insecurity will double, mirroring the World Food Program’s projection…
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