The slew of studies on health and the lively debate on diet are right on the nose. It is prudent to focus on such issues, for a nation’s health is essential.
A four-year study by scientists in Canada shows that daily sodium intake by South Africans is higher than the recommended amount. Currently our salt intake is 7g a day. World Health Organisa-tion guidelines suggest between 4 and 6g.
The study assessed sodium and potassium intake and related them to blood pressure, deaths, heart disease and strokes. The results of the study were put together by hundreds of investigators from 18 countries.
Hopefully this outcome means a wake-up for many, considering the magnitude of the problem posed by high salt use in this country. With one in three South African adults (15 years and older) living with high blood pressure, and about 130 heart attacks and 240 strokes occurring daily in our country, there is every reason for consumers to reduce their salt consumption.
This goes beyond personal health: A study recently presented at the World Congress on Cardiology showed that a modest reduction in our daily salt intake could save South Africa R578 million a year in health care costs.
Another research paper by academics from Wits University has highlighted the dangers of foods with high sugar content. South Africans have become more obese over the last 30 years, and we are now considered the most obese country in Sub-Saharan Africa, with more than half of the country’s adults overweight and obese.
They recommend a 20 percent tax on sugar sweetened beverages, a move they project will result in 220 000 fewer obese adult South Africans.
Proposals meant to lift the nation’s state of health are worth considering. Smoking, alcohol abuse, salt and sugar are the bane of modern life. The question is whether a country can legislate away its citizens’ dietary weaknesses or habits.