By Cosmas Omegoh
The National Action on Sugar Reduction (NASR), an advocacy group for the reduction of sugary drinks and celebrity photographer Aisha Augie-Kuta, have launched the #BigBelleFitKillPerson campaign targeting 47 million Nigerians with abdominal obesity.
The campaign featured striking visuals aimed at highlighting the health risks of abdominal obesity.
Obesity is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is one of the major causes of obesity in Nigeria.
It would be recalled that many Nigerians associate obesity with simply being chubby or fat, and do not recognise that a buildup of abdominal fat, or a “potbelly,” amounts to obesity. This feeds into the common misconception that people with pot bellies are only living the “good life.”
It was gathered that the #BigBelleFitKillPerson campaign dispels this myth by highlighting the health risks of abdominal obesity and its link to the consumption of sugary drinks. Large amounts of belly fat can raise the risk of heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes.
“Research showed that almost six million Nigerians suffer from hypertension due to obesity”, said Omei Bongos, Secretary of NASR.
Bongos recalled that Augie-Kuta’s striking images portray the real meaning of obesity for women and men.
“This campaign will help change public perception about what it means to be obese. Most Nigerians do not recognise that they may be at risk due to excess belly fat,” Bongos said.
Bongos added that “the #BigBelleFitKillPerson campaign signals NASR’s continued commitment towards reducing sugary drinks consumption in Nigeria while promoting overall health awareness among its citizens.” He added that pictures and videos of the programme are available on Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/bFW7Nm7Tn6U as well as Twitter and Tiktok.