How one man’s vegetable and business plan led to a revolution
In poor communities healthy food is less accessible, affordable and tasty. But one man has started a healthy-eating revolution in a Western Cape township – based on spinach.
For 29-year-old Lufefe Nomjana of Khayelitsha spinach is more than just a green leafy vegetable; it is a means to change the health status of his entire community.
Illnesses related to obesity
“University of Cape Town research has found that one in 10 learners in Khayelitsha is obese and this is due to fast foods, very high meat consumption and food high in fat and sugar,” he told Health-e News.
He said that he can see the impact of these foods in his community, where he is colloquially called the Spinach King, with more and more people suffering from chronic illnesses related to obesity.
Today is World Obesity Day and South Africans should take note: according to the latest South African Demographic and Health Survey, almost 70% of local women are either overweight or obese. The country has the highest obesity rate for women in Africa.
The biggest driver of obesity is the consumption of unhealthy foods, and the biggest consequences are chronic and often debilitating diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers.
And while it’s a crisis long-thought to be associated with wealthy populations, more and more research is finding that the poor are the hardest hit, especially in South Africa.
Source: health24.com