Health experts and civil society groups are voicing urgent concerns over South Africa’s growing reliance on ultra-processed foods and the aggressive marketing strategies used to promote them, warning of a looming public health crisis.
The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) revealed that nearly half of South African adults are overweight or obese, while childhood obesity has surged from one in 20 to one in eight in just a decade. The alliance says if current trends continue, more than 4 million children aged 5 to 19 could be living with obesity by 2031, placing the country among the 10 worst-affected globally.
In light of this escalating crisis, advocates are championing the introduction of Front-of-Package Warning Labels (FoPWL), designed to inform consumers of high sugar, salt, and fat content in foods.
John Nkuna, a type 2 diabetes patient, shared his personal insights with the Saturday Star about the need for greater transparency in food labeling
“We really need Front-of-Packaging Warning Labels (FoPWL) so that we can know what is really in our foods. We deserve to know. Because as someone living with type-2 diabetes. I only learnt about the FoPWL most recently. And I believe had it been that I had a chance of having food warning labels on our food packages, maybe I would have made better choices. But now it is too late. It shouldn't stop now; the guys are on the right track for the future generations as well as my kids as well.”
“I advocate for food packages and warning labels. And what I have noticed is that people do not know what is going to hit them in terms of their food intake. Because you see, even in the comments on social media, people sometimes take these things as a joke. They really don't know, but I wish that we could have more awareness about such diseases as diabetes and high blood pressure because people know about HIV only, and the government is only giving attention to HIV/AIDS, and they tend to turn a blind eye to these diseases.”
Gcinumzi Sawuka, chairperson of the PL HIV Forum under the Johannesburg AIDS Council, noted that people living with HIV need safe, nutritious food to balance the toxicity of their medication.
“I am representing people who are living with HIV, and for us these are conversations that we really need to look into, for we know for a fact people who are living with HIV in most cases rely on and demand good nutrition when it comes to the food that we consume. Looking at the fact that the medication we are taking is very high when it comes to toxicity. So the type of food that we eat is very important. We have noticed that more people who are living with HIV coming from the informal settlements, townships, and your rural areas are actually being affected by the food that we consume.”
Dumisile Kopa, who coordinates life skills and HIV/AIDS programmes in Gauteng’s Department of Education, highlighted the critical role of food in academic performance, saying, “Eating is not optional; we need food to survive. Learners come to school, and we expect them to be fed. So that they can do well and can perform well. That is why we provide nutrition under the school nutrition programme. And an advocacy like this is often, in our eyes, about the food that we give to our learners so that in a case where we are not doing well, we can do an introspection and correct it.”
It is further explained that international evidence shows labelling can work with Nzama Mbalati, CEO of HEALA, pointing to countries like Chile and Mexico, where warning labels reduced sugary drink consumption and children’s exposure to junk food marketing.
“Warning labels work. They’ve reduced sugary drink consumption and cut children’s exposure to junk food advertising in countries like Chile and Mexico. We have the evidence. What we don’t have is the political will to act,” he said.
Researchers including Dr Tamryn Frank of the University of the Western Cape stressed that labelling is a human rights issue:
“Every child has the right to grow up in an environment that supports their health, not one that exploits them for profit. Front-of-Package Warning Labels cut through marketing spin by putting the facts where consumers can’t miss them, on the front of the product. The state has a duty to step in and regulate where industry will not.”
Alice Khan, also of UWC, warned that ultra-processed foods are rapidly displacing traditional diets, while Yolanda Radu from the SAMRC added that fresh produce is often unaffordable or inaccessible: “Unless healthier options are made widely available, diet-related diseases will keep rising,” said Radu.
“Reversing this trend is critical. We need to create conditions where healthier, more affordable foods are widely available so that families can return to eating in ways that support their wellbeing,” said Khan.
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za
Saturday Star