As IF Times

link Reuters AlertNet – Studies show obesity taking hold in Africa and UK

‘Studies show obesity taking hold in Africa…’

If this is true, future Miss Universe pageant contenders will have to find a new stock response during the question and answer segment. From the time I was a kid until, well, up to when I ran across this article, I’d always thought people in Africa were starving. No doubt that is probably still the case in many regions where wise dictators, er leaders, determine who gets seconds and who gets to just look at seconds; but if this study is correct, that’s quite a sea change in circumstances without a lot of deserved fanfare.

Shouldn’t there have been an announcement in the papers? A card sent?

My rapier-like mind figures that one of two things have happened to cause this significant change in the circumstances for people in Africa. Either more food is available or more food is made available. Anyone who has ever been to the American Midwest would never argue that there has ever been a food shortage. We then entertain the other possibility; that food has always been plentiful, the problem has been with distribution.

Food and financial aid programs to ameliorate deficiencies in diet, water and living conditions in Africa have been in place as far as I can remember. It appears that now, there’s evidence of their efficacy. I suspect that changes in political climates in Africa have as much to do with such welcome progress as aid itself. It’s easier to feed a nation for example when the resident dictator doesn’t skim off the first 80% or so for himself, his cronies and his army.

As many still fail to grasp today, sometimes you have to upset a few regimes, even with force if you really are in the helping people business.

But all is not tickety boo yet, according to this article, the citizens in the increasingly urbanized continent are consuming low quality, high sugar foods which contribute to obesity, heart disease etc etc.

The most interesting passage in this article is:

“Given the chronic nature of most diseases associated with obesity and by extension the huge cost of treatment, the prospects look grim for the already under-funded and ill-equipped African health care systems unless urgent action is taken,” said Abdhalah Ziraba, who worked on the research with the African Population and Health Research Centre in Nairobi.”

Hey wait a minute….they’ve become AMERICANS!!