Heala holds food discussion in Rosebank

The Healthy Living Alliance (Heala) held a panel discussion about the role played by the food and beverage industry in weakening health policies on September 6.

Communications manager at Heala Zukiswa Zimela said the industry influences what food South Africans consume through the quality of food and beverages made available, affordable and desirable to consumers.

Broadcaster Michelle Craig said post-Covid-19, most of us are now aware of the link between healthy living and longevity. “Diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease which we call non-communicable diseases, fuel discussions around our food choices and what we take into our bodies. We now know that sugar diabetes is the second-highest cause of death in South Africa. ”

She said that there is now this growing research showing the link between ultra-processed foods and lifestyle diseases. These ultra-processed foods are high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat and this is where information becomes key. Craig said without having to search on the packaging of the food that we consume, we don’t know what is contained in the food we consume.

She added that evidence suggests that the food and beverage industry does not want us to know as their sole purpose is to make profits.

Programmes manager at Heala, Nzama Mbalati said we need to tackle the issue of the system and equity as food is very much embedded in equity. “People are getting ill and dying because they are not accessing the quality of food they should. Because of the system, there are a lot of things that are involved such as the price of food, access to healthy food – does the environment allow people to make better food choices?”

Policy and research manager at Heala Angelika Grimbeek said the food and beverage industry values profits over public healthcare. She said an organisation that is in the food and beverage industry is so powerful and well-resourced that they can go into lobbying efforts easily and manipulate the conversation around public health policies. It is much more complicated for the health department to instil these policies because there is a need for public participation process and as consumers we get our minds infiltrated through targeted marketing.”

Legal researcher Petronell Kruger said it is more costly to eat unhealthy compared to eating healthy because that is how you end up getting these non-communicable diseases and treating these is expensive.

Martha Modula who works in Craighall Park and takes treatment for diabetes said it is difficult to get the right food for diabetes. “I can eat a certain food product this minute but then it gives me side-effects, which makes it difficult to know what you must eat and not. Some beverages are said to have 2% or no sugar at all – yet when you drink it, sugar levels go up. When you go to the clinic for a check-up, only when you ask, do they tell you what to consume and not to.”

Modula who personally made her diet suggested it would help if professional dieticians would come to the clinic often and teach people the types of products to consume, which are not expensive as well.

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