As Kenya joins the rest of the world in marking the World Hypertension Day on May 17, a lobby group wants the Health Ministry to prioritise implementing a policy to combat the rising cases of obesity due to unhealthy diets.
The Noncommunicable Diseases Alliance of Kenya (NCDAK) Executive director, Dr Catherine Karekezi says the implementation of evidence-based Front-of–pack labeling (FOPL) will not only protect consumers from misleading marketing practices but also assist in reducing the consumption of unhealthy diets.
Speaking in Nairobi, Dr Karekezi observed: “The move will not only safeguard Kenyans’ fundamental right to nutritious food but will also reduce the consumption of unhealthy diets fuelling diet-related non-communicable diseases,”.
The NCDAK is leading advocacy efforts in Kenya for all matters pertaining to NCDs as well as partnering with the Health ministry to push the NCD agenda forward,
The NGO also unites organisations led by persons living with NCDs, NGOs and professional associations to advocate for and support individuals living with or at risk of NCDs in Kenya.
According to a World Health Organisation report, NCDs kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71 per cent of all deaths globally.
The report further says each year 15 million people die from an NCD between the ages of 30 and 69, over 85 per cent of these “premature deaths” occur in low- and middle-income countries.
Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths at 17.9 million annually, followed by cancers 9.0 million, respiratory diseases 3.9 million and diabetes kills 1.6 million.
Earlier, a dietician, Dr Betty Okere said in Kenya, the consumption of unhealthy foods with high sugar content, high fat and salt content with no nutrients resulted in over-nutrition (overweight and obesity).
“The tragedy in Kenya is that a majority of us are unaware that overnutrition is a disease…
“To safeguard our health and protect us—including children—from diet-related NCDs, we should overcome sugar cravings by avoiding foods with high sugar and fatty foods which are empty on nutrients,” Dr Okere noted.
In 2022, for example, the WHO estimated that over 390 million children and adolescents aged 5—19 years were overweight.
At the same time, the prevalence of overweight (including obesity) among children and adolescents aged 5—19 years has risen dramatically from just 8 per cent in 1990 to 20 per cent in 2022.
The rise has occurred similarly among both boys and girls ; in 2022 19 per cent of girls and 21 per cent of boys were overweight.
