Obesity: The worldwide epidemic
Obesity has become a growing epidemic in Sri Lanka. There are hidden sugars in most of the food that we regularly consume; such as chocolates, sweet beverages, tea, coffee etc. Multi-national Companies (MNCS) promote such food and drink while people of the country suffer. Hence, it has become the government’s mandate to curb the growth of obesity, diabetes and non-communicable diseases.
There is common myth where many people believe that obesity is not a disease itself and it just a risk factor for diabetes. But, the WHO has categorized obesity as a disease. Hence, the government is taking the initiative to introduce a ‘traffic-light food labelling’ system in where they indicate the amount of sugar included in ready-to-serve beverages such as colas, soft drinks and liquid milk. Drinks containing more than 11g of sugar per 100 ml of the drink should be indicated with a ‘red’ indicator while the sugar content is lesser than 2g, it should be indicated with green. Sugar content between these two volumes should be indicated in amber. Hence, Food and beverage products are to be labelled red, amber and green, indicating high, medium and low salt/sugar concentration respectively.
“Obesity, diabetes and noncommunicable diseases are huge problems in our country. In the West, you can see there are many campaigns and programmes to combat and prevent these issues. These programmes do not only restrict the intake of sugar, but also restrict the intake of salt and fats.” said Dr. Waruna Gunathilaka, Director of the National Poisons Information Centre.
We asked how could we identify the volume of sugar, salt or fats in the foods that we consume, he said, “This is one of the most serious issues in our country. Many products claim to be low fat or low in sugar, but what does it really mean? What can a regular consumer gauge from that statement? One could look at the volume of calories in the food item. But, many find calorie counting too is technical and even misleading. Therefore, I believe that the ‘traffic light system’ is a good solution to combat this issue of identification. The products made in Sri Lanka, the nutritional pre-components of the product should be in the front label, and mostly, do not bear any information or it is printed in extremely small letters in the back of the product. This causes confusion to the consumer.”
“Sri Lanka is looking at this issue from a micro stand point. The health authority is only focusing on the restriction of the intake of sugar. However, we should focus on this issue in a macro and holistic way where salt, fat and sugar and other substances that induce diabetes and obesity is taken into consideration.
“The West in contrast looks at all the dimensions of this problem. They are doing it from grassroots level. They are targeting school canteens where they implement ‘eat healthy’ campaigns and ensure that the schools receive pre-cooked meals that complement the health standards of the respective country. Creating healthy menus for children has been a trend in the Western world, especially in the UK.”
“The Western world looks at the food industry as a whole. They even set out restriction policies for food retailers, where the government drives; such companies to promote healthy options for the people. For instance, introducing foods that are low in salt. I believe that our government should not only have a vision, but also a broader vision to combat this issue. Further, the government should be able to execute such polices as well.”
He further elaborated on the ‘traffic light’ labelling system, “I do believe the ‘traffic light’ system is an ideal initiative, although it is limited, it is understandable. Even a person who is illiterate would be able to understand the system. However, the ‘traffic light’ system should also be used in other products to indicate the contents of salt and fat as well.”
“I also believe that there should be more awareness in this issue. 15% of children under 15 suffer from obesity and this number is alarmingly rising. The increasing rate of child obesity is a serious issue in our country. Child obesity begins at a young age. Baby food in Sri Lanka, such as cereals and biscuits are high in sugar content. The sugar proportions in these food items are not properly regulated and these types of foods build up the foundation for obesity in children. Further, studies show that breast feeding babies for up to 6 months curbs obesity in children.”
“Further studies have shown that good microbial flora that reside in our gut perish while the bad ones flourish due to the consumption of excess sugar, fat and salt. Processed and artificial food changes the flora in our gut. This is one of the factors for obesity. These chemicals let the bad flora flourish and disrupt the lipid metabolism in our body. A new hypothesis states that our diet can also affect our mental health. When the microbial flora is disturbed, it can disrupt our neurotransmitters, and thereby causes diseases such as depression. Further, high fructose corn syrup found in fizzy drinks, jellies and puddings facilitate obesity.”