As countries enforced lockdowns and employers encouraged their staff to work at home, many picked up poor eating habits and relaxed on their work-out schedules. And now, health experts are worried that obesity is on the rise. Private Kamanzi, a dietician at Amazon Nutrition Cabinet, a Kigali based health clinic, says that the change in people’s lifestyles will most likely lead to obesity. “Different studies have shown a possibility that the combination of isolation and subsequent socioeconomic hardship and deterioration of psychosocial health might result in long-lasting effects on metabolic health,” Kamanzi pointed out. Some countries have even rolled out campaigns to tackle obesity, specifically during the coronavirus crisis. In the UK for example, Prime Minister Boris Johnson renewed commitment to tackle obesity after research showed that those who are obese or overweight are at increased risk of death or severe illness from Covid-19. “Losing weight is hard but with some small changes we can all feel fitter and healthier,” Johnson said in a statement. “When I went into ICU, when I was very ill, I was very…I was way overweight,” Johnson said in a video posted to his official Twitter account to launch the campaign. The UK premier became seriously ill with the coronavirus and recovered after spending time in hospital. Speaking to The New Times, Dr Vincent Mutabazi, an epidemiologist, pointed out that usually, obese people already have underlying health issues or are at high risk of developing illnesses like heart disease and hypertension. “Obesity causes restrictive breathing and makes it more difficult to clear pneumonia or other respiratory conditions,” Mutabazi added, explaining the vulnerability of obese people who catch the coronavirus. Florence Uwamwezi, the founder of Slim n’ Fit – an organisation that supports overweight women – echoed similar sentiments citing that the pandemic particularly poses a threat to people with obesity. “People were not busy during the total lockdown. This led to an increased food consumption rate, hence increasing weight” she said. Uwamwezi who has for the last two years cut 25 kgs pointed out that stress to can lead to eating disorders. “Out of frustration you find that they [stressed people] turn to meal tables as a way to keep them busy. Hence increasing food consumption.” The existing strategies to contain the spread of Covid-19 should not act as a pretext of adding weight, Uwamwezi warns. Her organisation has come up with an initiative to help people struggling with shedding off excess during the pandemic. Dubbed ingendo y’abeza, the initiative aims at bringing together overweight ladies as well as young girls, twice a month for a 12km walk. “This has helped. I can see a change in our group members,” she said. “We also conduct outdoor training sessions every day, (6:30-7:30) where specialist is invited to talk to the group about healthy lifestyles.” According to the 2015 Demographic Health Survey, 21 per cent of women in reproductive age-group (15 to 48 years) are obese. In 2010, when a similar survey was carried out, the number was at only 16 per cent.
