Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Kiambu women top obesity list 2021 due to Potatoes and Rice consumption

The Ministry of Health obesity report published at the second National Food Fortification Summit 2021 exposed that Kirinyaga women are rated on top in obesity at a 50% rate across the country.

The Kirinyaga women are followed by their counterparts in Nyeri, Murang’a and Kiambu counties respectively.

MOH Director of Nutrition and Dietetics Veronica Kirogo noted that eating habits devoted to the weight gain of women in those regions.

“Women in these regions prefer a mixture of rice and potatoes as food. That is not a balanced diet. What this kind of meal does is to add more weight to their bodies because the food contains a lot of calories,” Kirogo said.

She emphasised that health hazards associated with obesity are adverse include heart attack, kidney and cancer-related diseases.

According to MOH, micronutrient deficiencies remain a public health concern, especially for Kenyan women and children.

While at it, CAS Rashid Aman took the chance to demonstrate that malnutrition is also one of the leading causes of infant diseases in the country.