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An overview of the nutrition transition in West Africa: implications for non-communicable diseases
This 2015 review provides an insight into the more recent nutritional developments in West Africa. While undernutrition remains a big problem, dietary patterns have changed as urbanisation increased and technology improved. There is evidence that intake of fruits and vegetables is low universally in West Africa, and obesity is becoming more prevalent. Most of the countries in Western Africa are at the early stages of nutrition transition but countries such as Cape Verde, Ghana and Senegal are at the latter stages. In the big cities, kids eat as much as 7 times more candies, ice cream and sweetened beverages as fruits and vegetables. In addition to the rise in adult obesity rates (115% in 15 years since 2004), there has been an increase in incidence of hypertension (high blood pressure) in countries such as Burkina Faso and Cape Verde. It has been reported to be more common in the cities. Furthermore, the prevalence of diabetes ranges from 2.5 – 7.9% but it is as high as 17.9% in Dakar, Senegal. And it is not only people in the high socioeconomic classes that are affected by these nutritional factors. In cities such as Accra and Ouagadougout, at least 19% of adults from the poorest households are overweight, while 19-28 % have hypertension. The cooperation of governments, partners, private sector and civil society is needed to regulate the food and drink industry and to promote healthy eating to the public. [NPID: diet, disease, mental health, West Africa, malnutrition, FV intake, fruits, vegetables, obesity, Cape verde, Ghana, Senegal, hypertension, high blood pressure, Burkina Faso, high socioeconomic class, Affra, Ouagadougout, poor, overweight, public health]
Year: 2015
