AFRICA’s growing middle class is increasing the threat of obesity, creating a paradoxical double burden for the continent as it also struggles with malnutrition, according to speakers at a conference on Africa’s role in solving the global food crisis.With six of the world’s 10 fastest-growing economies, Africa is experiencing increased urbanisation, leading to changes in eating habits, often for the worse.While the World Food Programme estimates 870-million people in the world face hunger, up to 2-billion people are malnourished worldwide, with about a third of the world adult population being obese.CEO of Concern Worldwide Tom Arnold told the Feeding the World conference in Sandton last week that continued obesity in these African countries could drive up costs in health services as the risk of diet-related diseases continued to grow."In Africa’s growing economies, the problem of obesity is clear. A serious obesity problem may also be headed to South Africa," Mr Arnold said.Mr Arno...
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