Our children are growing up in an increasingly unhealthy food environment. Experts warn that the increased marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children is leading to an increasingly obesogenic food landscape. This year’s theme, “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures,” highlights the need for the government to prioritise the health and well-being of our country’s most valuable asset: our children.
South Africa is facing a double burden of overnutrition and undernutrition. A staggering 27 percent of children in South Africa suffer from stunting.
According to experts, “Chronic child malnutrition is one of the leading causes of stunting in children, which can be irreversible. Stunting can have short- and long-term consequences, including developmental delays, poor cognitive function, and an increased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.”
Conversely, an estimated 1 in 8 children under the age of 5 are overweight. This is due in part to the overconsumption of high-calorie diets rich in salt, sugar, and fats, leading to a childhood obesity crisis.
As it stands, South Africa does not have any laws that curtail the marketing of unhealthy food to children.
What can we do?
We are calling for the National Department of Health( NdoH) to fast-track the implementation of the R3337 regulations. Not only will these regulations make it easier for parents and caregivers to make informed decisions about the food they provide to their children, but they will also restrict the advertising of foods high in salt, sugar, and fats to children.
HEALA is also calling for the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to intensify its efforts to enhance the school nutrition program, instead of further socialising young children into the consumption of health-devastating foods. These foods jeopardize the physical, mental, and emotional performance of children, and thereby their futures.
A healthy nation is a prosperous nation, and our children deserve to be protected from predatory organisations seeking to target them for profit at the expense of their future health and well-being.
ENDS
ABOUT HEALA
HEALA is a coalition of civil society organisations advocating for equitable access to affordable, nutritious food in South Africa by building a more just food system.
For Media Interview please contact:
Zukiswa Zimela | Communications Manager HEALA
+2710 825 4403| zukiswa[@]heala.org