With the highest obesity rates in sub-Saharan Africa, and ten thousand new diabetes cases diagnosed every month, South Africa is experiencing a health crisis akin to the HIV epidemic. Lucky Nkosi, an obese pregnant mother living in Alexandra township, is living this crisis on a daily basis.
Lucky is a part of the 70% of obese and overweight women in South Africa at risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. As obesity is a form of malnutrition, it puts unborn babies at risk of various birth defects, including stunting and early-onset diabetes.
The high cost of healthy foods makes healthier lifestyle choices difficult, especially against the background of the grinding poverty suffered by millions of South Africans.