Accra, March 22, GNA - Ghana has the largest number of overweight and obese people of over three million out of the estimated population of 20 million, statistics on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in seven African countries have shown.

The countries are Ghana, Congo Brazzaville, Liberia, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal and Sierra Leone.

Health Minister Major Courage Quashigah (Rtd) made this known in a speech read on his behalf at a health Symposium on the Prevalence of Obesity in Ghana in Accra on Thursday.

Overweight and obesity, which were considered problems only in high -income countries, were dramatically on the rise in low and middle-income countries particularly in urban settings, the minister noted.

Another area of concern, he said, was obesity in children, which reports say, was increasing among children under five, a situation that was worrying for the health of the future leaders.

The Minister therefore urged Ghanaians to adopt the Ministry's new paradigm of creating wealth through health, which placed emphasis on prevention rather than curative healthy lifestyles and avoid acts that were detrimental to their lives.

He also suggested an intersectoral partnership among the entire stakeholders in the health delivery sector, control in the consumption of western diet and lifestyles that caused abdominal obesity especially among women and to place the issue of overweight and obesity high on the national agenda as some of the ways to stem the tide.

Other speakers admitted that obesity was a major health problem, which caused diseases like hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, and cancers and called for attitudinal change to turn the situation around. Dr Yaw Oppong, Head, Department of Chemical Pathology, University Of Ghana Medical School (UGMS) who presented a paper on Obesity said a current research conducted by Professor Richard Britwum of the Community Department, University of Ghana, indicated that, prevalence of obesity for the population 18 years and above was 5.5 % and more common in the Southern part of the country compared to the Northern sector.

" Highest in Greater Accra (16.1%) and virtually not present in Upper East and West. By ethnicity obesity is highest among GaDagme, Ewes and Akans, recording 14.6%, 6.6% and 6.0% respectively" he said.

He noted that obesity was more common in married females than unmarried ones, the separated or divorced individuals and highest among the employed compared to self-employed and unemployed.

Dr. Oppong explained that body shapes also played a role in developing complications of obesity.

Comparing the shapes to Pear and Apple, he said Pears have fat deposited more around their hips and buttocks and Apples have more fat deposited around their trunk and abdomen.

He however noted that Apples have higher risk of Type II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

On prevention and management of obesity, Dr. Oppong said nutritional counselling, monitoring, low alcohol and increased physical activity should be encouraged.

He noted that, in extreme cases surgery was used to reduce the volume of stomach and added that national programmes such as education and regulation of food industry to reduce fat content of foods and ban the importation of 'unhealthy' foods should also be recommended. Mrs Cecilia Ankrah, Department of Dietary, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital said obesity could cause infertility and irregular menstruation in women and asked people with obese problems to admit it and consult the dietary department for help.

She said people did not have to strain too hard to shed excess fat but a good diet and exercise was all it took. She encouraged the obese to reduce intake of fat and alcohol, avoid sugar, sweets, fatty meat and rather increase vegetable intake as well as partake lots of exercise.

Non-obese persons were also urged to enjoy the "right amount of food at the right time and at the regular time".

Dr Maamie Yaa Nyarko Department of Child Health, UGMS, who spoke on "Obesity in Children", said obesity results in respiratory problems like asthma disorders in children and called for family involvement in the weight loss plan of the kids.

She said weight loss in children should not be drastic and suggested outdoor activities and a health diet to stem the tide.

Mr Muhammed Mamum Jafar, CEO of El-Mamum Centre, an NGO which organised the symposium said the public health symposium was necessitated due to the obesity related diseases which had become a major public health challenge in the 21st century claiming the lives of over 17 million people annually according to the World Health Organisation.