Abstract

Obesity is a disease that affects individuals in every nation across the world, indiscriminate of race, gender, ethnicity, status, etc. The articles under review provide perspective on the factors that precipitate, causing obesity in Ghana. Factors such as socioeconomic status, marital status, culture, lifestyle, and food environment are all demonstrated as contributing to obesity in Ghana. Furthermore, these articles explore different consequences of obesity and how the epidemic continues to affect the region. Consideration of all the factors and the consequences of such factors allows readers to explore their specific relationship with and impact on the Ghanian region.

Introduction

Obesity is a complex disease stemming from overconsumption of food and extreme levels of body fat, which has detrimental effects on internal body systems. Obesity can lead to various diseases, ultimately becoming fatal. Among such diseases are serious coronary diseases like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and even cancer (“Obesity”). Obesity can precipitate as a result of several different factors ranging from lifestyle, culture, poverty, and food economy to inherent genetic disease and dispositions. Obesity is an incredibly indiscriminate disease that if left unchecked, can lead to premature death in any victim. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that global obesity rates have tripled since 1975 (“Obesity and Overweight”). Statistics indicate that 13% of the global adult population and 7% of the global adolescent population suffer from obesity, underscoring the intensity of the epidemic (“Obesity and Overweight”). Such staggering rates of change and onset have called for a worldwide analysis of how obesity has come to be one of the largest causes of preventable death in the world. Generally, it has been identified that an increase in consumption of high-calorie foods, particularly those dense in fats and sugars, as well as a progressive change towards sedentary lifestyles and a decrease in overall fitness, lead to obesity (“Obesity and Overweight”).

This literary review aims to uncover the most pressing and urgent factors that precipitate obesity in the Ghanian region. The articles under review were chosen based on the credibility of the authors, the methods used to isolate and quantify (or qualify) the factors, and their overall relationship to Ghananian obesity. Research demonstrates that factors such as lifestyle, culture and food economy contribute the most to the rising incidence of obesity in Ghana.

Analysis

One of the principal factors that were identified as socioeconomic factors such as poverty and food availability. Research indicates that poverty-stricken areas of Ghana demonstrate higher obesity incidence rates than those with higher average incomes. The studies identified a “reverse relationship between socio-economic status and the risk of obesity” (Dake, Tawiah, Badasu, 2010). Statistics showed that the relationship between socioeconomic status and obesity depicted, in some areas, a 60% change in risk of obesity. These findings were correlated to the region’s food economy, which mainly consisted of highly refined and processed foods because of their low cost. In particular, it was identified that “refined carbohydrates, polished grains, and frozen meat products,” have shown a relationship with the increase in obesity incidence due to their caloric density and high energy value (Dake, Tawiah, Badasu, 2010). Therefore, it’s evident that poverty is a precipitating factor of obesity in Ghana because it forces individuals to resort to calorie-dense processed foods, which lead to increased fat and sugar levels. This is a significant delineation as it contradicts the popular notion that obesity incidence rates increase with income and wealth. However, while the evidence is convincing, further studies should be completed to analyze the correlation between poverty and obesity and how it can be prevented or remediated.

A progressive transition to a sedentary and less movement-based activity in Ghana was also identified as a precipitating factor for the increase in obesity incidence. Typically, an individual should eat the equivalent number of calories as their basal metabolic rate or the number of calories they would burn on average in a single day. This equivalency would ensure that an individual is properly fed and has the energy to carry out a day’s worth of activities. However, an increase in sedentary lifestyles was found to affect Ghanian obesity rates. The research

found that individuals are moving less due to transportation such as buses and personal vehicles (Dake, Tawiah, Badasu, 2010). By performing less physical activity in moving and spending more time either riding on transportation or driving, individuals are drastically altering their lifestyles and subsequently, increasing their risk of obesity. This is in part due to the fact that with the change to sedentarism, the average caloric intake has not reduced to match the reduction in physical activity. Therefore, the reduction in physical activity coupled with the lack of change or an increase in caloric intake contributes to obesity.

A shift towards more “westernized” meals and meal portions has also demonstrated a correlation with the incidence of obesity as indicated by the article “Carbohydrate-dense snacks are a key feature of the nutrition transition among Ghanaian adults – findings from the RODAM study.” The westernization of meals is inherently correlated with the advent of better nutrition and remediating malnourishment but has had adverse effects in Ghana and other parts of Africa (Asmus et. al, 2021). Instead of remediating nutritional deficiencies, the introduction of westernized meals has both worsened the average nutritional palette but has also increased the size of meal portions. Research shows that the introduction of a westernized palette to Ghana and surrounding regions increased overall carbohydrate intake, which influenced fluctuations in hormones such as insulin, glucagon, and ghrelin, which control appetite and hunger (Asmus et. al, 2021). Subsequently, Ghanians are more likely to both snack and eat more often, in larger portions due to the fluctuation in hormones, which can lead to overconsumption and obesity (Asmus et. al, 2021). Therefore, it’s evident that a change in meals and the type of consumed has an influence over obesity and can increase obesity incidence in Ghana.

The article “Body Weight, Obesity Perception, and Actions to Achieve Desired Weight among Rural and Urban Ghanaian Adults” used Body Mass Index (BMI) and a series of survey

questions to understand obesity incidence in Ghana. The results produced a number of different factors that can explain the increase in obesity. Firstly, the study revealed that “cultural perceptions and ideals link overweight and obesity to wealth and wellbeing,” which provides a cultural basis for the increase in obesity incidence (Agyapong et. al, 2020). Furthermore, researchers identified the cultural perception that overeating and being overweight postpartum is an indication of good health and wellbeing, which may also contribute to obesity incidence. Lastly, the surveys depicted that of the population surveyed, there was a general disregard for exercise and dieting, which would further exacerbate the risk of obesity. This article provided an interesting perspective as to how cultural norms and views on health influence individual and community health.

Conclusion

Obesity is an epidemic that continues to plague humans all around the world. Coined “The Silent Killer,” many of its symptoms go ignored and unnoticed, and if left unchecked, obesity can be fatal. This literature review aimed to unveil major factors that contribute to obesity incidence in Ghana, and the identified factors are socio-economic factors such as poverty and food economy, lifestyle changes in regards to physical activity and food consumption and cultural norms. While specific to Ghana, these factors open up avenues of discussion on obesity prevention and treatment across the world. Further research should be completed to analyze and identify more factors so that a more holistic approach can be taken to obesity prevention and treatment, but identifying these major factors is a good first step. Steps in the future may include implementing public education programs to educate people on the significance of physical activity, healthy eating and the dangers of obesity.

Citations:

Agyapong, N. A. F., Annan, R. A., Apprey, C., & Aduku, L. N. E. (2020). Body weight, obesity perception, and actions to achieve desired weight among rural and urban Ghanaian Adults. Journal of Obesity, 2020.

Link: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jobe/2020/7103251/#introduction

Eval: this article is reliable because it was written by Nana Ama Frimpomaa Agyapong she has PhD Human Nutrition and Dietetics RD and also published 11 other publications on similar topics. She is respected in her profession and she is respected with her research.

Assmus, F., Galbete, C., Knueppel, S., Schulze, M. B., Beune, E., Meeks, K., … & Danquah, I. (2021). Carbohydrate-dense snacks are a key feature of the nutrition transition among Ghanaian adults–findings from the RODAM study. Food & nutrition research, 65.

Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8388941/

Benkeser, R. M., Biritwum, R., & Hill, A. G. (2012). Prevalence of overweight and obesity and perception of healthy and desirable body size in urban, Ghanaian women. Ghana medical journal, 46(2), 66-75.

Link:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/sociodemographic-correl ates-of-obesity-among-ghanaian-women/ACCCE5B986C66D284555F275CCCF90D2

Danquah, I., Addo, J., Boateng, D., Klipstein-Grobusch, K., Meeks, K., Galbete, C., … & Smeeth, L. (2019). Early-life factors are associated with waist circumference and type 2 diabetes among Ghanaian adults: The RODAM Study. Scientific reports, 9(1), 1-9.

Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-47169-6

“Obesity – Symptoms and Causes.” Mayo Clinic, 2 Sept. 2021, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obesity/symptoms-causes/syc-20375742#:%7E:text=O verview,blood%20pressure%20and%20certain%20cancers.
“Obesity and Overweight.” World Health Organization, 9 June 2021, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight