Africans eat too few fruits and vegetables, leading to problems with obesity, diabetes and cardio-vascular disease, according to scientists meeting this week in Dakar, Senegal.
In most African countries, half the population could be considered overweight, said Dr Jacky Ganry of CIRAD, a French research centre working on international agricultural and development issues in developing countries.
'In Africa, average per capita consumption of fruit and vegetables is well below the WHO-recommended amount,' he stated.
In Dakar, the number of cases of diabetes reported annually has multiplied by 10 in the last 30 years.
Chris Ojiewo, of a vegetable research centre in Tanzania, warned of the double burden of malnutrition and obesity in Africa and stressed the importance of promoting vegetables to alleviate this problem.
