Festive season sugar rush
WITH the festive season fast approaching, millions of consumers are expected to purchase sweets and food that is high in sugar.
During this time, producers allegedly employ an aggressive marketing strategy that draws consumers to excessively spend on processed foods.
The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) is an organisation that promotes healthy eating.
“The festive season is a key time where consumers fall prey to aggressive advertising campaigns by large food companies promoting foods that are full in flavour but low in nutritional value.
“That is why we strongly encourage consumers to focus on eating real, unprocessed foods over the upcoming holidays,” said Nzama Mbalati, programmes manager at HEALA.
“Over the past 30 to 40 years, highly processed and unhealthy foods have become increasingly accessible and affordable, leading to a global increase in lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity – especially in the poorest and most vulnerable communities and households.”
Producers strategically advertise during peak viewing hours – where television shows are being consumed by the family – and the items usually target the young.
Most of the highly processed foods (sweets, biscuits) are high in sugar and highly addictive.
Another problem faced is how some products are wrongly labelled “low fat” or “high protein” because there is poor regulation of labelling.
“No matter what the front of the food package promises you – from lowering your cholesterol or being made with whole grains – ignore it.
“Those messages are marketing claims and may be deceptive.
“Instead, you need to pay attention to what is on the side or back of the package.
“What’s on the front is purely a sales pitch.
“The nutrition panel and ingredient list is where you’ll find what’s really in the product.
“That’s where you can check how much sugar, salt and fat it contains,” said Mbalati.
According to HEALA, alternatives to maintain low sugar levels include eating fruit.
They also recommend avoiding soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages.