Bad diets push SA kids into the big league for obesity TAYLOR Naidoo*, 9, can no longer wolf down burgers, chips, milkshakes and chocolate as “no carbs, no sugar” has become the 40kg child’s mantra in her attempt to shed 10kg. She is fighting her addiction to fast food and sugar with a stringent diet and exercise regime ordered by her doctor. The Grade 4 Durban pupil is not alone in her battle against the bulge — thousands of South African children are either overweight or obese due to bad eating habits. On the back of a new Harvard study into the diets of US kids, South African nutritionists have warned that fast food could be fuelling the country’s childhood obesity problem and could lead to cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, diabetes, cancer and fatty liver disease.

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