The MRC’s Nutritional Intervention Research Unit (NIRU) conducted the following study, which was led by Dr Mieke Faber: Dietary intake, perceptions regarding body weight, and attitude toward weight control of normal weight, overweight and obese Black females in a rural village in South Africa. The findings were published in Ethnicity & Disease, Vol 15, Spring 2005.

Obesity in weight control programmes
A previous study that was done by NIRU showed that more than 70% of women living in Ndunakazi, a rural village in the mountains in KwaZulu-Natal, are either overweight or obese. We then did another study that looked at how people in this rural community viewed being overweight.

Women who were between 25 and 55 years of age were asked questions about the food they ate, their health, and attitude toward weight control. Some questions asked the women if they knew about the causes and health risks of overweight and obesity. Of the 187 women who were interviewed, 54 (29%) were of normal body weight, 77 (41%) were overweight and 56 (30%) were obese.

Most of the women did not think that a person’s health was linked to the food eaten and they disagreed that overweight or obese people eat more than normal-weight people. Only a few believed that obesity is caused by behavioural factors such as eating too much food or not exercising. The women thought the greatest causes of obesity were biological factors beyond their control. Most of the overweight or obese women in the study did not think they were too fat, but instead liked their weight. This makes it difficult to treat or prevent obesity and places the women at risk for more weight gain and poorer health.

Many of the obese women in the study had high blood pressure and people with high blood pressure are at risk for coronary heart disease and stroke. Obese women complained more about back pain, sore bones and sore knees. These health issues should be used in weight control programmes to show the harmful effects of obesity.

Weight control programmes for this rural community should understand how the community views overweight and obesity.