16.5% of Liberian Women live with Obesity

The study revealed that women in Liberia are gaining weight faster than their male counterparts.

By: Emmanuel Wise Jipoh

Monday, September 16, 2024/ About 16.5 % of Liberian women are now thought to be clinically obese, that is according to the Global Nutrition Reports of 2021.

The report said Liberia has shown limited progress towards achieving the diet-related non-communicable disease (NCD) targets.

The 16.5% of adult (aged 18 years and over) women are obese compared to 6.7% of adult men who are living with obesity.

Liberia’s obesity prevalence is lower than the regional average of 20.8% for women and 9.2% for men.

 Diabetes was also captured in the survey as another increasing sickness in both men and women, with about 9.3% of adult women and 9.2% of adult men being affected.

Making these disclosures at the launch of the Comprehensive Food Security and Nutrition Survey (CFSNS) nationwide last Thursday, Agriculture Minister Alexander Nuetah also revealed that about 2.2 million people, or 47% of the population in Liberia, are said to be food insecure.

Dr. Nuetah indicated that the 2021 Global Nutrition Report 2021 shows that about 29% of Liberian children under the age of five are suffering from chronic or stunning malnutrition, while about 4% of the same age group are suffering from acute malnutrition or wasting effects.

The Liberian Agriculture Minister stressed that these statistics suggest a crucial need for decisive action to curb the situation.

“The survey will employ a multi-sectoral approach, engaging and collaborating with local and international stakeholders across sectors to ensure comprehensive data collection and analysis, and identify needs and vulnerabilities”. Dr. Nuetah told the gathering at the CFSNS launched, which will enhance a comprehensive survey to target food security status and nutritional needs across the country—edited by Othello B. Garblah.