TY - JOUR

T1 - An overview of the nutrition transition in West Africa

T2 - implications for non-communicable diseases

AU - Bosu, William

N1 - https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/5F0F7462CB5D9B1D2FCFC89018F1524C/S0029665114001669a.pdf/an-overview-of-the-nutrition-transition-in-west-africa-implications-for-non-communicable-diseases.pdf The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 74, pp 466-477 2015, © 2015 Cambridge University Press.

PY - 2015/11

Y1 - 2015/11

N2 - The nutrition landscape in West Africa has been dominated by the programmes to addressundernutrition. However, with increasing urbanisation, technological developments andassociated change in dietary patterns and physical activity, childhood and adult overweight,and obesity are becoming more prevalent. There is an evidence of increasing intake of dietaryenergy, fat, sugars and protein. There is low consumption of fruit and vegetables universallyin West Africa. Overall, the foods consumed are predominantly traditional with thecomponent major food groups within recommended levels. Most of the West African countriesare at the early stages of nutrition transition but countries such as Cape Verde, Ghanaand Senegal are at the latter stages. In the major cities of the region, children consumeenergy-dense foods such as candies, ice cream and sweetened beverages up to seven timesas frequently as fruit and vegetables. Adult obesity rates have increased by 115 % in15 years since 2004. In Ghana, the prevalence of overweight/obesity in women has increasedfrom 12·8 % in 1993 to 29·9 % in 2008. In Accra, overweight/obesity in women has increasedfrom 62·2 % in 2003 to 64·9 % in 2009. The age-standardised proportion of adults who engagein adequate levels of physical activity ranges from 46·8 % in Mali to 94·7 % in Benin.The lingering stunting in children and the rising overweight in adults have resulted to a dualburden of malnutrition affecting 16·2 % of mother–child pairs in Cotonou. The prevalenceof hypertension has been increased and ranges from 17·6 % in Burkina Faso to 38·7 % inCape Verde. The prevalence is higher in the cities: 40·2 % in Ougadougou, 46·0 % inSt Louis and 54·6 % in Accra. The prevalence of diabetes ranges from 2·5 to 7·9 % butcould be as high as 17·9 % in Dakar, Senegal. The consequences of nutrition transitionare not only being felt by the persons in the high socioeconomic class, but also in citiessuch as Accra and Ouagadougou, where at least 19 % of adults from the poorest householdsare overweight and 19–28 % have hypertension. Concerted national action involving governments,partners, private sector and civil society is needed to re-orient health systems andbuild capacity to address the dual burden of malnutrition, to regulate the food and beverageindustry and to encourage healthy eating throughout the life course

AB - The nutrition landscape in West Africa has been dominated by the programmes to addressundernutrition. However, with increasing urbanisation, technological developments andassociated change in dietary patterns and physical activity, childhood and adult overweight,and obesity are becoming more prevalent. There is an evidence of increasing intake of dietaryenergy, fat, sugars and protein. There is low consumption of fruit and vegetables universallyin West Africa. Overall, the foods consumed are predominantly traditional with thecomponent major food groups within recommended levels. Most of the West African countriesare at the early stages of nutrition transition but countries such as Cape Verde, Ghanaand Senegal are at the latter stages. In the major cities of the region, children consumeenergy-dense foods such as candies, ice cream and sweetened beverages up to seven timesas frequently as fruit and vegetables. Adult obesity rates have increased by 115 % in15 years since 2004. In Ghana, the prevalence of overweight/obesity in women has increasedfrom 12·8 % in 1993 to 29·9 % in 2008. In Accra, overweight/obesity in women has increasedfrom 62·2 % in 2003 to 64·9 % in 2009. The age-standardised proportion of adults who engagein adequate levels of physical activity ranges from 46·8 % in Mali to 94·7 % in Benin.The lingering stunting in children and the rising overweight in adults have resulted to a dualburden of malnutrition affecting 16·2 % of mother–child pairs in Cotonou. The prevalenceof hypertension has been increased and ranges from 17·6 % in Burkina Faso to 38·7 % inCape Verde. The prevalence is higher in the cities: 40·2 % in Ougadougou, 46·0 % inSt Louis and 54·6 % in Accra. The prevalence of diabetes ranges from 2·5 to 7·9 % butcould be as high as 17·9 % in Dakar, Senegal. The consequences of nutrition transitionare not only being felt by the persons in the high socioeconomic class, but also in citiessuch as Accra and Ouagadougou, where at least 19 % of adults from the poorest householdsare overweight and 19–28 % have hypertension. Concerted national action involving governments,partners, private sector and civil society is needed to re-orient health systems andbuild capacity to address the dual burden of malnutrition, to regulate the food and beverageindustry and to encourage healthy eating throughout the life course

KW - nutrition transition

KW - Noncommunicable diseases

KW - West Africa

U2 - 10.1017/S0029665114001669

DO - 10.1017/S0029665114001669

M3 - Journal article

VL - 74

SP - 466

EP - 477

JO - Proceedings of the Nutrition Society

JF - Proceedings of the Nutrition Society

SN - 0029-6651

IS - 4

ER -