On Friday, 4 March 2022 the Faculty of Health Sciences at the North-West University (NWU) commemorated World Obesity Day. The Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) decided to partner with NWU Wellness and arranged a casual walk through the campus to drive awareness of obesity. The walk-through started at the amphitheatre on the Potchefstroom Campus and circled through the campus to return to the amphitheatre. Bonita Maboeta, senior wellness specialist, says that the university has the NWU Wellness Programme in place as part of its commitment towards promoting employee health and well-being.
According to World Obesity Day’s official website, one in every six adults worldwide is currently living with the disease. Obesity was once viewed as a problem for the most developed countries, but is now rising on every continent. Professor Lebo Gafane-Matemane from HART says: “What is even more concerning is that not only adult obesity is rising, but childhood obesity too.”
Professor Ruan Kruger and his team at HART all worked together to play their part in ensuring happier, healthier and longer lives for everybody. Awareness days like this one tackle serious topics and still manage to keep things fun. Although a little rain cut their walk short on the day, everyone’s spirits remained high. Read more about how you can tackle this disease here: www.worldobesityday.org.
