Direct Individual Support is the Missing Element in the Mainstream National Obesity Guidelines

Whereas several country-level nutrition guidelines reference mechanisms like advertising, taxation and labelling, among others, as ways to promote healthy diets, there appears to be a lack of guidance on direct ‘clinical’ support measures to manage overweight and obesity in a contextually specific manner effectively. This report provides an overview of the existing policies and guidelines in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. Overweight and obesity affect all 16 SADC countries across all age groups, which poses an adverse effect on these countries' public health and health systems. Two appraisers used the AGREE II tool separately to appraise and analyse guidelines specifically adopted to prevent and manage overweight and obesity. African countries, especially SADC countries, have developed and implemented national strategies that emphasise multisectoral approaches, policy and legislative support, fiscal measures like Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB) taxes, health promotion, and education to prevent and manage obesity. These efforts align broadly with the World Health Organisation's global guidelines and aim to create enabling environments for healthier lifestyles to reduce obesity and related Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). This comprehensive approach reflects recognition of obesity as a complex public health issue requiring coordinated action across sectors and levels of society.