Poor eating habits not the right recipe
Children spend hours watching screens and doing little physical activity, consume too much sugar and end up overweight
South African children are sedentary, most consume too much sugar, many are overweight and a large number spend chunks of their day glued to a screen.
These are the findings of the Healthy Active Kids South Africa (Haksa) Report Card of 2018, a study of children and adolescents between the ages of three to 18 years which focuses on their physical activity and nutrition. The study is conducted and produced by a scientific advisory group of 30 academics from 14 institutions.
The Haksa 2018 Report Card builds on previous evidence from the 2007, 2010, 2014 and 2016 versions.
According to the study, only about half (41% to 60%) of South African children are meeting recommended overall physical activity levels, which average between 57 to 65 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day. For this section, children scored a C.
When it comes to organised sport, the kids scored a D (21% to 40%) as there was no evidence to suggest a change in the number of children and adolescents participating in organised sport since 2016.
An area of concern is sedentary behaviour, where a score of F (0% to 20%) was given.
The study found South Africa’s children spend on average more than three hours a day looking at screens – activities which fall outside of schoolwork.
“There is no evidence to suggest that screen time use is declining and it may in fact be increasing, as smartphones become more accessible and affordable,” the study says.
“Only a third of children meet the screen time recommendation for their age.”
Telecommunications expert Arthur Goldstuck said there was no denying technology had become an integral part of everyday lives, but parents had to be stricter when it came to nonproductive screen time for their children.
Goldstuck provides guidelines in his book, Tech-Savvy Parenting: A Guide to Raising Safe Children in a Digital World, which he co-authored with
Nikki Bush.
He said kids aged zero to two years should only be allowed to watch a small amount of calm television programmes, which featured song and dance.
Children aged three to five, were in danger of becoming addicts and parents should limit their exposure as this might become more difficult later on.
Between the ages of six to nine, children should be asking permission to watch television, with parents urged to encourage reading.
At 10 to 13 years, children are “screen hungry”, with what they watch or play forming a huge part of their social lives. No social media should be allowed and games should be selected carefully.
As for the older kids in the 14to 18-year category they need help by adults cutting screen time during study periods, with all alerts and beeps switched off. Social media use needs to be carefully scrutinised.
Goldstuck warned: “Realistically speaking, we can't keep children away from technology, it really just comes down to how we manage it. Parents need to also unplug from their own devices and spend time with their children. There are parents out there who are consumed with their own phones and tablets but expect their kids to behave differently. This needs to stop.”
Then there are the school tuckshops, which stand accused of making children fat, selling unhealthy food of poor nutritional value.
Not only do most tuckshops sell food high in calories, sugar and salt, but children are also consuming far too many sugarsweetened beverages, despite the sugar tax.
It should then come as no surprise that close to one out of ten South African children aged between three to five is overweight while one in five preschool children is either overweight or obese.
This explains the F grade local children were awarded in the category of snacking, sugarsweetened beverages, salt and fast food.
It is not just a matter or choice however. Sadly, not enough is being done to improve access to nutritious food for the poor.
Nigel Connellan, managing director of Western Gruppe Trading, which runs 13 Spars around East London, said carbonated soft drink suppliers had been placed under huge pressure to comply with the drive to reduce sugar content in the face of the sugar tax imposed by the government, with costs running into hundreds of millions of rands per month if they continue trading as normal.
Connellan said manufactures had to reformulate their products to reduce sugar. The levy is fixed at 2.1 cents per gram of the sugar content that exceeds 4g per 100ml.
“Hence you will notice that many have reduced the size of their packaging. From a 500ml to 440ml and 330ml to 300ml. Had this not been done, their tax would have been even greater.
“You will also notice that instead of sugar, most are using non-nutritive sweeteners, which do not carry the additional taxes.
“This unfortunately changes the flavour and has in turn affected sales on so many key brands,” he said, adding that this should have a huge impact on the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages in the future.
“However, why have only the carbonated soft drink manufacturers been affected? There is sugar in almost everything we consume. Why has sugar tax not been imposed on breakfast cereal manufacturers? I have said from the start, that sugar tax needs to be imposed from source, then all forms of sugar abuse will be penalised and not only in the carbonated soft drink market.”
The study authors makes key recommendations.
School-aged children and adolescents should do at least an hour of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity that increases their heartrate each day.
Preschool kids need to be still more active with at least three hours of any physical activity, including at least one hour of energetic play, each day.
Prof Salome Kruger, a nutrition professor from the Centre of Excellence for Nutrition at the North West University, made some key recommendations regarding diet.
Kruger said children should consume only water, milk or fresh fruit in order to replace their sugar intake. She warned parents should not be fooled into thinking fruit juices are safer because while a 340ml can of soft drink contains 35g of sugar, a 250ml of fruit juice contains anything between 17 to 30g of sugar.
Cooked porridge or wheat biscuit cereal make better breakfast choices, with fruitpacked smoothies as the perfect breakfast meal on the go.
She said: “Boiled eggs can be prepared in advance and are a very healthy option, with bread or fruit for breakfast or lunch boxes.
“There are a number of oatmeal and fruit candy bars on the market, but compare labels and select options with a lower sugar and fat content per 100g. Be careful when comparing products. Check if the amount of sugar is per serving or per 100g.”
The report also highlighted an increase in the consumption of fast food, with the number of outlets on the rise.
Association for Dietetics South Africa spokesperson and registered dietician Abby Courtenay provided guidelines for families who find themselves eating takeaways often.
According to Courtenay, it is best to choose fish , followed by skinless chicken, with red meat being the last option.
She advised vegetarian options where possible – but warned of overly cheesy and starchy options.
“Steer clear of wraps, burgers and pizzas as the quality of the starch is often not great and the quantity is usually too much. Go for grilled over deep-fried and make sure whatever you order comes with a side of salad or vegetables,” she advised.
“Only have dessert if it is something you really love. Use this as an occasional treat rather than a regular occurrence. Opt for sparkling water or occasionally diet cooldrink over sugar-laden cooldrinks.”
The report card’s concluding comment says: “Our country cannot afford to have ‘more of the same’ when it comes to matters related to the health and well-being of our country’s children and adolescents. Government, the private sector and media, civil society, parents and researchers need to be working harder together to help promote healthy behaviours amongst the young people of our country, beginning as early as possible. And the healthy choice needs to be the easy choice for them – in homes, schools, communities, public spaces and online.”
Only a third of children meet the screen time recommendation for their age