UProf Naidoo, oyi-CEO ye-Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa, ukhumbuza umphakathi ukuthi izingcindezi zansuku zonke ziyanqwabelana futhi azithinti amasosha omzimba kuphela, kodwa ziphinde zibe nomthelela endleleni umuntu adla ngayo, azivocavoca ngayo kanye nasekulaleni kahle. Uthi uma ingcindezi iqhubeka isikhathi eside, amandla omzimba okubhekana nayo ayancipha, kuhlanganise nokusebenza kwenhliziyo nemithambo yegazi.
IHUNYUSHWE -SHEILA MHLONGO
Ingcindezi eqhubekayo isikhathi eside ingase ingagcini nje ngokuthinta impilo yengqondo yabantu baseNingizimu Afrika, kodwa ingaba nomthelela ekwandeni kokukhuluphala ngokweqile, isifo sikashukela kanye nezinye izifo ezihlobene nokusebenza komzimba ekuguquleni ukudla kube amandla (metabolic disorders). Eziningi zalezi zifo ziphinde zibe yizimbangela ezinkulu ezandisa ingozi yezifo zenhliziyo nemithambo yegazi (CVD).
Nakuba ingcindezi ivame ukubhekwa njengengxenye yempilo yesimanje engenakugwemeka, ubufakazi obandayo bocwaningo lwesayensi bukhombisa ukuthi ingcindezi yengqondo eqhubeka isikhathi eside ingadala izinguquko emzimbeni ezingandisa amathuba okuba umuntu abe nokukhuluphala ngokweqile, isifo sikashukela sohlobo lwesibili (type 2 diabetes – T2D) kanye nezifo zenhliziyo.
UProf Naidoo, oyi-CEO ye-Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa, ukhumbuza umphakathi ukuthi izingcindezi zansuku zonke ziyanqwabelana futhi azithinti amasosha omzimba kuphela, kodwa ziphinde zibe nomthelela endleleni umuntu adla ngayo, azivocavoca ngayo kanye nasekulaleni kahle. Uthi uma ingcindezi iqhubeka isikhathi eside, amandla omzimba okubhekana nayo ayancipha, kuhlanganise nokusebenza kwenhliziyo nemithambo yegazi.
Lokhu kwenza ubudlelwano phakathi kwengcindezi kanye nokusebenza komzimba kube yinto ebaluleke kakhulu okufanele ibhekwe ngesikhathi seNyanga Yokuqwashisa Ngezifo Zenhliziyo ngoSepthemba, lapho kugxilwa ezintweni ezingaba nomthelela empilweni yenhliziyo esikhathini eside.
Lesi sexwayiso siza ngesikhathi abantu abaningi baseNingizimu Afrika bebhekene nengcindezi enkulu emsebenzini kanye nobunzima bezimali. Ngokombiko we-Gallup ka-2026, State of the Global Workplace, u-36% wabasebenzi baseNingizimu Afrika babike ukuthi babhekene nengcindezi. I-Profmed Stress Index ka-2025 yona yathola ukuthi ukungaqiniseki ngezimali kanye nengcindezi yasemsebenzini kusephakathi kwezimbangela ezinkulu zengcindezi kochwepheshe baseNingizimu Afrika.
Ubudlelwano obubheka nhlangothi zombili phakathi kwengcindezi nempilo ye-metabolic
“Abantu abaningi bayazi ukuthi ingcindezi ingathinta indlela abazizwa ngayo kanye nokulala kwabo, kodwa bambalwa abaqaphelayo ukuthi ingcindezi engapheli ingaphazamisa nendlela umzimba osebenzisa ngayo ukudla ukuze ukhiqize amandla,” kusho uNicole Jennings, okhulumela iPharma Dynamics.
“Uma ingcindezi iba yinto eqhubekayo, umzimba uhlala usesimweni sokuxwaya futhi uqhubeka ukhiqiza amazinga aphezulu e-cortisol, evame ukubizwa nge-hormone yengcindezi. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, lokhu kungaba nomthelela ekukhuphukeni koshukela egazini, ekutheni umzimba ungabe usayisebenzisa kahle i-insulin kanye nasekunqwabelaneni kwamafutha ayingozi azungeze izitho zangaphakathi esiswini kwabanye abantu.”
Ucwaningo lukhombisa ukuthi ukusebenza isikhathi eside kohlelo lomzimba lokuphendula ingcindezi kungaphazamisa ukusetshenziswa kukashukela emzimbeni, kwehlise ukuzwela kwe-insulin futhi kukhuthaze ukunqwabelana kwamafutha. Konke lokhu kuhlobene kakhulu nezifo ze-metabolic.
“Kodwa lobu budlelwano busebenza nhlangothi zombili. Ingcindezi yengqondo noma yasemsebenzini eqhubeka isikhathi eside ingandisa amathuba okuba umuntu abe nalezi zifo, kanti izifo ze-metabolic nazo zingaguqula indlela umzimba ophendula ngayo engcindezini, okungenza umuntu abe sengozini enkulu yemiphumela yayo.”
Ngenxa yokuthi izifo ze-metabolic zingaphazamisa amasosha omzimba futhi zithinte nokulingana kwamakhemikhali ebuchosheni, zingase zenze umzimba uphendule kakhulu uma umuntu ebhekene nengcindezi.
Lokhu kungadala umjikelezo oyingozi lapho ingcindezi engapheli inomthelela ekuphazamisekeni kokusebenza komzimba, bese lokhu kuphazamiseka nakho kwehlisa ikhono lomzimba lokubhekana nengcindezi.
UProf Naidoo uthi ingcindezi engapheli ingaba nemiphumela emibi empilweni ngezindlela ezingabonakali kalula. Isibonelo, umuntu angadla ngokweqile ngesikhathi ebhekene nengcindezi, okuholela ekukhuluphaleni. Lokhu kungandisa ingozi yesifo sikashukela sohlobo lwesibili. Ukukhuluphala ngokweqile nakho kungaholela ekukhuphukeni komfutho wegazi kanye ne-hypertension.
Inkinga ekhulayo yezifo ze-metabolic
Lokhu kukhathaza kakhulu eNingizimu Afrika, lapho izifo ze-metabolic ziya ngokuya zanda khona.
Ngokusho kwe-International Diabetes Federation (IDF), cishe abantu abadala abayizigidi ezingu-2.3 eNingizimu Afrika baphila nesifo sikashukela, okuyisibalo esilinganiselwa ku-7.2% sabantu abadala. INingizimu Afrika inesibalo sesine ngobukhulu sabantu abadala abaphila nesifo sikashukela e-Afrika.
Ukukhuluphala ngokweqile, nakho okuyimbangela enkulu yezifo ze-metabolic, kuseyinselelo enkulu yezempilo yomphakathi. Cishe umuntu oyedwa kwababili abadala baseNingizimu Afrika uphila nesisindo esingaphezu kwesifanele noma ukukhuluphala ngokweqile, okubeka izigidi zabantu engcupheni enkulu yesifo sikashukela, izifo zenhliziyo kanye nezinye izifo ze-metabolic.
“Abantu abaningi bagxila ekudleni nasekuzivocavoceni uma kukhulunywa ngempilo ye-metabolic, futhi kufanele,” kusho uJennings.
“Kodwa ukulawula ingcindezi kuvame ukuba yingxenye ebalulekile eshiywa ngaphandle. Ungadla ngendlela efanele, kodwa uma uphila ngaphansi kwengcindezi njalo, umzimba wakho usengaba nemiphumela emibi ye-metabolic.”
UProf Naidoo uthi buyanda nobufakazi besayensi ngobudlelwano phakathi kwamathumbu nobuchopho (gut-brain connection), lapho ucwaningo lukhombisa khona ukuthi uhlobo lokudla umuntu aludlayo lungaba nomthelela empilweni yengqondo nasenhlalakahleni yakhe.
Kungani izindawo zokusebenza kufanele zikunake lokhu?
Lokhu kugqamisa indima ebalulekile abaqashi abangayidlala ekwesekeni impilo yengqondo kanye nempilo yomzimba yabasebenzi.
Ucwaningo luthole ukuthi ingcindezi yasemsebenzini ihlotshaniswa nokwanda kwengozi yokuba umuntu abe ne-metabolic syndrome. Lena yinhlanganisela yezimo ezifaka umfutho wegazi ophakeme, ushukela omningi egazini, amafutha amaningi esiswini kanye namazinga e-cholesterol angajwayelekile.
Uma lezi zimo zihlangene, zingandisa kakhulu ingozi yesifo senhliziyo kanye nesifo sohlangothi.
ENingizimu Afrika, lapho ukungaqiniseki komnotho, ukungavikeleki kwemisebenzi, ukukhuphuka kwezindleko zokuphila kanye nomsebenzi omningi kufaka abantu ngaphansi kwengcindezi, izinhlelo zezempilo nenhlalakahle emsebenzini zingaba yingxenye ebalulekile yokuvimbela lezi zinkinga.
Izinguquko ezincane zingenza umehluko omkhulu
UJennings uthi ubudlelwano phakathi kwengcindezi nezinkinga ze-metabolic akusho ukuthi lezi zifo azinakugwemeka.
Ukuzivocavoca njalo, ukulala ngokwanele, ukudla ukudla okunomsoco nokulinganiselayo, ukugwema ukubhema, ukunciphisa ukuphuza utshwala, ukusebenzisa izindlela zokuthulisa ingqondo kanye nokuba nabantu abakusekelayo, konke kungasiza umzimba ulawule indlela ophendula ngayo engcindezini futhi kuthuthukise impilo ye-metabolic.
UJennings ukhuthaza abantu baseNingizimu Afrika ukuthi bangabheki ukulawula ingcindezi njengendlela yokuvikela impilo yengqondo kuphela, kodwa bakubheke njengengxenye yokuvikela impilo yomzimba kanye nenhliziyo.
“Ukulawula ingcindezi akuyona into yokunethezeka kuphela — kuyingxenye ebalulekile yokuvimbela izifo ezingamahlalakhona. Ngokuqonda ukuthi ingcindezi iwuthinta kanjani umzimba nangokuthatha izinyathelo kusenesikhathi, abantu bangathuthukisa impilo yabo yengqondo kanye nempilo yabo ye-metabolic esikhathini eside.”
UProf Naidoo ukhuthaza abantu ababhekene nengcindezi asebehluleka ukuyilawula ukuba bafune usizo lwezempilo, njengoba kukhona ochwepheshe bezempilo abaqeqeshelwe ukusiza ekulawuleni ingcindezi kanye nezimo ezithinta impilo yengqond
Ikhishwe yiMeropa Communications egameni lePharma Dynamics.
Imithombo eshiwo embikweni:
- Gallup (2026), State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report.
- Simelane, T. et al. (2023), National Food and Nutrition Security Survey: National Report, HSRC, Pretoria.
