Majority of Kiambu Women Grapple with Obesity, New Statistics Show

According to recent findings from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022, a majority of women in Kiambu County are grappling with weight issues.

In the county, it is evident from the data that 55.6 per cent of women aged 20-49 are either overweight or obese. This percentage is significantly higher compared to the 28 per cent of men in the same age group. This disparity in weight could potentially be attributed to the prevalence of sugary beverage consumption, which stands at a staggering 85 per cent as well as the consumption of unhealthy foods, which stands at 52 per cent. These statistics were gathered from a comprehensive survey that included over 15,000 women and 13,253 men.

At the data release event held in Thika town on Monday, the Director General of the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Dr. Macdonald Obudho highlighted the positive performance of Kiambu County in different areas. However, he acknowledged that the county is facing considerable obstacles in terms of obesity and overweight. Dr Obudho called upon the county government and policymakers to leverage this data to create impactful interventions that tackle the nutrition and health issues faced by the community.

“From the data, Kiambu County is doing well in many other areas compared to most counties. However, it is struggling with nutrition and thus the need for policy makers to allocate enough resources to address the challenge,” said Dr Obudho.

To combat the issue of obesity, he emphasized their collaboration with community health advocates to educate the public about the importance of adopting healthy behaviours. Dr Kigo highlighted the implementation of a successful school feeding program in all Early Childhood and Development Education (ECDE) centres across the county, specifically addressing concerns such as stunted growth, underweight, and thinness in children.