NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 17 – Obesity has emerged as one of the most pressing public health challenges globally, with Kenya increasingly affected as lifestyle changes and urbanization accelerate.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 890 million adults were living with obesity in 2022, a figure that has more than doubled since 1990. The WHO further estimates that 35 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2024.
Obesity, defined as excessive fat accumulation that impairs health, is driven by a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, including diet, physical inactivity, and underlying medical conditions. Once considered a problem of high-income countries, the burden has shifted toward low- and middle-income nations, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia.
The WHO notes that obesity is a major risk factor for some of the world’s leading causes of poor health and early death, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and osteoarthritis.
In Kenya, the STEPwise Survey estimates that one in four adults is overweight or obese, with urban residents being the most affected.
Despite its growing prevalence, experts say obesity continues to receive less attention and funding compared to other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Speaking at a high-level meeting on NCDs in New York last month, Stowelink Foundation founder and health advocate Ogweno Stephen urged global stakeholders to boost investment and innovation in obesity prevention and treatment across Africa.
“Change will not come from policy alone. It begins when communities understand their power to make healthier choices, when the media tells real stories, and when governments prioritize prevention as much as treatment,” said Ogweno.
During the forum, delegates from Egypt, Greece, and the Philippines shared their national strategies, from fiscal policies such as sugar taxes to integrating obesity services into primary health care and promoting access to healthy foods and sports for children.
The discussions underscored the need to make emerging obesity treatments accessible not only in Europe and North America but also across Africa and other developing regions.
