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Warwick research links westernisation to Nigerian obesity

Researchers at Warwick University have linked the effects of westernisation to high levels of obesity in Nigeria.

The research has suggested that “western” influences on the Nigerian lifestyle may have increased levels of obesity, and its associated health risks, amongst the population.

Nigeria, a country in sub-Saharan Africa, has a population of 174 million inhabitants of which an estimated 15.5 percent adults are obese or overweight.

The researchers paid particular attention to the rates of obesity and weight in women. The study, based on data from the 2008 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey, sampled an estimated 28,000 women aged between 15 and 49 years.

According to their findings, women with higher levels of wealth were three and a half times more likely to be either overweight or obese as compared with their counterparts with lower wealth indexes.

Comparisons were also made between the different states of Nigeria. 50 percent of women are estimated to be either obese or overweight in more urbanised states such as Lagos.

In contrast, the research found that only 10 percent of the population in more rural states, like Yobe State, were classified as obese or overweight.

Professor Saverio Stranges, who works at the Warwick Medical School, suggested that the shift towards “western habits” encourages a more sedentary lifestyle and a less balanced diet.

He remarked: “More people have cars and drive where they might have walked in the past. The rise in internet usage within the cities sees more people sat down for prolonged periods, both at home and at work.”

Through the study, the Medical School aims to heighten understanding of both the social and economic implications of obesity and to predict the future demand on public health systems in Nigeria.

A recent study conducted by scientists in the US made similar findings by linking the rise in obesity in Nigeria to a lack of exercise.

According to scientists, whilst calorie intake has remained consistent over the last 20 years, levels of physical activity on the other hand has declined dramatically.

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