By Michael Gwarisa
Zimbabwe is facing a rapidly escalating public health emergency as new projects indicate that 4.2 million adults will be overweight or obese by 2030 with women being the hardest hit group.
An analysis of data from the 2025 World Obesity Atlas scoreboard shows that women are bearing the brunt of this epidemic, with their rates of obesity far surpassing those of men.
The projections show a steady climb in high Body Mass Index (BMI) over the past two decades, a trend set to accelerate. By 2030, an estimated 37% of the adult population will have a high BMI, with 16% living with obesity. However, the aggregate figures mask a profound gender imbalance.
The data paints a disturbing picture for the health of women in Zimbabwe. By the end of this decade, it is projected that 2.69 million women will be affected by high BMI, a figure nearly three times higher than the 990,000 men projected to be in the same category. The disparity is even more pronounced in the most severe obesity categories. The number of women with a BMI of 35 or higher is expected to reach 500,000 by 2030, compared to just 69,000 men.
“This isn’t just a statistic; it’s a forecast of a massive health and societal burden,” the data suggests.
The consequences are already being felt. In 2021 alone, a high BMI was responsible for approximately 4,000 premature deaths in Zimbabwe from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. It also accounted for over 39,000 person-years of ill health, crippling productivity and straining a healthcare system already grappling with other challenges.
The root causes of this crisis are complex, involving dietary shifts towards processed foods and sugary drinks, Zimbabweans consume over 2.5 litres of sugar-sweetened beverages per person per week. alongside changing physical activity patterns.
Experts point to a critical gap in the national response. The scoreboard indicates that Zimbabwe currently has no national guidelines for the management of obesity or physical inactivity. Furthermore, there have been no recent national surveys to monitor key risk factors like diet and exercise, and no fiscal policies, such as a tax on sugary drinks, to discourage unhealthy consumption.
The projected figures for 2030, especially the disproportionate impact on women, serve as a urgent call to action. Without decisive intervention, including public education campaigns, promoting healthy diets, creating environments for physical activity, and implementing evidence-based policies, Zimbabwe risks a future where preventable NCDs undermine both the health of its citizens and its economic stability. The time to address this growing crisis is now.
