Obesity
Being very overweight
What it is
Having too much body fat for your height. It raises the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, joint pain and some cancers. Fat around the belly is the most harmful.
Common signs
- High body weight for your height
- Large waist
- Short of breath when walking
- Knee and back pain
- Loud snoring
How it is diagnosed
A health worker measures your weight, height and waist. A BMI (weight compared to height) of 30 or more means obesity. A waist over 94 cm in men or 80 cm in women is a warning sign.
Tests
- Weight, height and BMI — shows if weight is too high
- Waist measurement — shows belly fat
- Blood pressure reading — checks for high blood pressure
- Finger-prick glucose or HbA1c — checks for diabetes
- Cholesterol blood test — checks blood fats
How food affects it
Food is a main part of treatment. Smaller portions of starchy and fried food, and cutting out sugary drinks, help most. Losing even 5–10% of your weight improves sugar and blood pressure. Aim for slow, steady loss and move your body every day.
Food as medicine, alongside your medicine. Food works alongside your medicines, not instead of them. Never stop or change your tablets without talking to your health worker.
Eat often
- Vegetables and leafy greens — fill half the plate
- Beans, cowpeas, lentils and moi moi — keep you full
- Fish, eggs and chicken without skin
- Whole fruit like guava, orange and pawpaw
- Water instead of sweet drinks
Eat in moderation
- Rice, yam, fufu, gari, ugali and bread — about a fist-sized portion
- Palm oil, groundnut oil and groundnuts — small amounts
- Red meat — small pieces
Avoid or cut down
- Sugary drinks: soda, malt, sweetened zobo, juice
- Fried snacks: puff-puff, chin chin, mandazi, chips
- Sweets, cakes and biscuits
- Alcohol — has many hidden calories
- Eating large meals late at night
Get help urgently
See a health worker if you have chest pain, are short of breath at rest, have very swollen legs, or stop breathing for moments while sleeping.
General information, not a diagnosis. Always follow the advice of your health worker.