World Obesity Day (WOD) is observed annually on 4 March in schools around the globe. It is an international awareness campaign to teach communities and learners about obesity, which is not merely a lifestyle choice, but a chronic, relapsing, and progressive disease; it is a complex, biologically driven condition involving excessive body fat that increases the risk of over 200 other communicable diseases is South Africa.
The 2026 global theme, “Eight (8) Billion Reasons to Act on Obesity”, emphasises that with a global population exceeding 8 billion, every individual has the right to live in environments that promote and support healthy living. The theme underscores the importance of coordinated, multi-sectoral interventions to address the underlying determinants of obesity and to improve population health outcomes.
The DBE through the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), in collaboration with the Mpumalanga Department of Education, commemorated WOD 2026 at Welverdiend Primary School in Welverdiend village in the Hluvukani area, Bohlabela District in the Manyeleti Circuit on the day. Guests included, amongst others, traditional authority, Mr Hosi Mnisi, Mpumalanga Department of Education Curriculum Enrichment Director, Ms Doreen Mtileni and Deputy Director for the NSNP, Ms Lydia Maotoe and her team.
Ms Sekome, an educator at the school, was the programme director on the day. The principal, Mr Ngobeni, welcomed the guests, after which Ms Maotoe, in her speech, cited the purpose of WOD. She told parents and learners about the importance of healthy eating and living healthy lifestyles: “Learners need to understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy food as there are many diseases caused by contaminated items from spaza shops that can cause food born illnesses, leading to the death of our children”.
Ms Mtileni gave the keynote address in the local vernacular and in English, saying that the 2026 theme calls for a shift in focus from individuals to the systems that shape our health. This highlights the need for multi-sectoral interventions to address the root causes of obesity and improve health outcomes. There have been widespread news media reports of foodborne illness outbreaks that sadly resulted in the demise of some learners whilst others were hospitalised. These incidents occurred mainly in residential townships and schools. Reports suggest that foodborne illness is primarily related to non-compliant food items or contaminated food sold by street vendors and spaza shops with many food items not registered with the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).
The DBE has a key role in safeguarding the lives of learners on school premises and the surrounding environment. Therefore, the DBE intensified efforts to improve food safety and hygiene practices in schools and to find creative ways to monitor the safety of food made available to schools. The commemoration of Obesity Day is part of the DBE's response to the double burden of diseases that face our communities including learners. At times, this is caused by what is made available in the school food environment. She also mentioned the statistics on obesity in babies, girls and boys in South Africa. The NSNP is mandated to educate schools and communities about the value of healthy diets and eating habits. Learners were served fruit before being led on a kilometre-long walk around the school, followed by aerobics, as a way of instilling the knowledge of how to maintain general health.