Obesity, Culture and the right to exercise

Abstract

The “Rainbow Nation� is a melting pot of unique cultures all struggling to maintain their identities. Simultaneously, each culture is required by the constitution to be tolerant and work together to establish the “New South Africa�. The consequence is that each South African has to change (minor changes in some, but major changes in others) to ensure the success of the country. Not only are “New� South Africans required to make changes regarding their political and cultural ideologies to ensure the country’s success, but they also need to make lifestyle changes that affect their health. If not, in the near future, there will be no healthy people left in the country to make it successful. The following article will discuss the key problem area that South Africa needs to change to ensure the future health and survival of our nation, that is, the prevalence of obesity. Importantly, it will be argued that to try and make this change, the problem has to be approached through understanding the unique cultural milieu within the country.