“Botswana has been reluctant to recognise the contrast between undernourishment and obesity. We have treated these two forms of malnutrition as separate issues rather than as interrelated concerns,” according to health specialist who spoke to The Telegraph on condition of anonymity.
What is more concerning is that although Botswana is growing to become one of the fattest nations on the African continent, the country still has no concrete obesity strategy. With approximately thirty percent of Batswana overweight or obese, the figure is expected to rise to more than 50 percent by 2025 if the government doesn’t change the food environment through hard policy.
More worryingly, despite being one of the countries most affected by obesity on the African continent, Botswana still lacks a comprehensive policy to combat obesity. According to current estimates, 30% of Batswana are overweight or obese, and if the government doesn’t enact strict legislation to improve the eating environment, that percentage is predicted to increase to more than 50% by 2025.
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