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REUTERS
The health minister said trans fats unsaturated man-made fats which were a key ingredient in fast foods were contributors to high blood pressure, obesity, cancer and diabetes
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has declared war on the harmful trans fats contained in many fast foods, saying South Africans must save themselves from the illnesses it causes or they will die in large numbers.
Briefing the media on the work of his department last week, Motsoaledi warned that processed foods loaded with trans fats were being dumped on African and other Third World countries as industrialised First World countries became more health conscious and rejected them.
The health minister said trans fats – unsaturated man-made fats which were a key ingredient in fast foods – were contributors to high blood pressure, obesity, cancer and diabetes. He said this year his ministry would target these lifestyle diseases.
He has already indicated that the health department is to restrict salt and fatty acids in food products.
Motsoaledi said he would target alcohol advertising in the same way former health minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma had focused on smoking.
He said while HIV and Aids remained a key focus of the health department, the challenge of non-communicable diseases would be tackled head on. They were “a scourge… caused mainly by lifestyle choices”, Motsoaledi said.
Motsoaledi voiced strong concern about the way alcohol advertising used celebrities to send a message to young people that if they drank, they would be successful.
He said non-communicable diseases had been identified as a developmental problem by the UN last year.
Motsoaledi referred to a UN resolution that was passed for governments do all that they could to put regulations in place to fight the four major causes of non-communicable diseases – smoking, alcohol, diet and lack of exercise
. - Cape Argus
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Suckers, wrote
Can anybody smell it!!! Another F#$@%^ing tax is coming our way,like all the many other sh*t names they give it,only to suck more out of us!!!!
Miss Marley, wrote
james, wrote
Welcome to the Nanny State. The government gets to tell you what to eat, drink and think. They suck all the flavor and goodness out of the food leaving you hungering for whatever was missing, you eat more, get fatter. Just ask us here in the States with our "Low Fat, "No Trans Fat" products like our 0% and 1% whiteblue water (called milk).
Kevin Mo, wrote
Its all nice and well if you can afford the healthy expensive food,for millions of people out there the only option available is the cheap junk food!Mr Minister,this is another one of those point scoring statements I'm afraid.
John, wrote
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