How fast foods fill tummies and tombs

Round and fluffy, the smokie sausage is highly popular with the working class for its affordability and gratification. It’s also pleasantly tasty, owing to its high concentrations of solid fats and sodium salts. However, with each bite, many consumers swallow a mouthful of toxins which health advocates say cause many cardiovascular diseases.

This could balloon the high rate of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Kenya from the current 40 to 47 per cent by 2030.

Nutritionists also caution against heavy consumption of roadside fast foods such as chapati, mandazi and French fries (chips). They say the cost-effective, ready-made delicacies are fried in solid oils that are heavily saturated with transfatty acids (TFAs) typically common in highly processed foods.

Coronary heart disease, cerebro-vascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other conditions are grouped among cardiovascular illnesses, a cluster of disorders responsible for 13 per cent of annual deaths in Kenya.

Consequently, Dr Nasirumbi Magero, head of the cardiovascular programme at the Ministry of Health’s Non-Communicable Diseases Division, is urging Kenyans to reduce intake of foods high in TFAs.

She adds: “Consumption of unhealthy foods, most of them processed, is among the risk factors for hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.” These conditions are silent killers.”

She was speaking during a recent forum on elimination of TFAs, hosted by the International Institute of Legislative Affairs.

It is projected that deaths from NCDs will increase by 55 per cent by 2030, if the prevalence is not addressed urgently.

While supporting the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation for healthy diet and lifestyle, she pointed out that consumption of TFAs, especially industrially produced foods fried in hydrogenated vegetable oils, increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

The WHO recommends a diet of fruits; vegetables, and grains — especially fibre-rich whole grains — fat-free or low-fat dairy products; legumes; poultry; and lean meats including fish.

“These should be consumed at least twice a week,” she advises.

It has emerged that consumption of fast foods and other processed diets increased steadily during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

Little inactivity

Published studies show that the number of people buying junk food online, from the comfort of their houses, grew significantly, a situation made worse by physical inactivity.

A Jumia Food Index report of 2019, before Covid-19, shows that fried chicken, pizza and burgers, dominated the delicacies ordered online.

The estimated market size for food and beverage then was between Sh830 billion and Sh880 billion, the report shows.

According to Daisy Lenjo, a nutritionist at the County Government of Kiambu, these are some of the foods that contain TFAs with a link to obesity and mortality.

“Trans fats are bad for the heart, blood vessels, and the rest of the body. They are also linked to obesity, which increases the likelihood of diabetes,” she said.

Both males and females suffer from obesity. Over 50 per cent of women in Kenya are overweight, she notes.

“In the event we sit down and do nothing, the prevalence of NCDs could increase from 40 per cent currently to 47 per cent in the next eight years,” Lenjo laments.

Central Kenya region has the highest number of hypertension and diabetes cases, according to a survey at Level 4 and 5 hospitals.

“Last year, we did a study in county hospitals across the country, looking at the magnitude of cardiovascular diseases. We focused on nine illnesses, and found out that about 5 per cent of patients with CVDs also had coronary heart diseases,” the survey highlighted.

The survey largely gave the Ministry of Health background information on the population near these facilities.

“That’s a big number — without considering those who died from sudden heart attacks. In the survey, it became clear that stroke was the highest killer, at 23 per cent,” Nasirumbi added.

TFAs are typically found in processed foods, snacks, fried delicacies, pizza, pies, cookies, margarines and spreads.

In Kenya, NCDs are responsible for 39 per cent of all deaths currently, up from 27 per cent in 2014.

A regional study shows that about 40 per cent of deaths in East Africa are caused by NCDs. While the food industry is keen on the financial proceeds from fast foods, health experts say many consumers are unaware of TFAs and their negative effects on health.

 Inadequate labelling

“And those that are aware face the challenge of inadequate or lack of labelling, despite existing laws on this,” says Steve Bala of Consumer Information Network.

He accused the food industry of using aggressive marketing to lure consumers to unhealthy diets. “There is also societal misinformation on consumption of junk foods, which are seen as cool and a hint of affluence,” he said.

Celibe Awuor of the International Institute for Legislative Affairs, a platform that sensitises the public on TFAs, called on a strong legislative framework to alter or regulate production of high-calorie foods. “The food industry, locally and internationally, should be regulated,” she said.

Awuor called for enhancement of capacity among enforcement officers.

Echoing these sentiments, Nasurumbi says a local solution and early intervention on NCDs at the primary healthcare level, are the best approaches.

“The priorities are shifting. Let’s reduce the modifiable factors such as tobacco, alcohol consumption, risk behaviours, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diets,” she explained.

She added that Kenya should emulate Ethiopia, South Africa and Nigeria — three countries in Africa that have made progress in banning TFAs. The US banned TFAs from February 2018.

“We will establish national regulatory and fiscal policies to promote healthy diets, not only on TFAs, but on trans-fat regulations,” said Nasirumbi.

“The food industry should find alternatives to bad cholesterol,” she says.

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