Many years ago, working in a rural hospital in Lesotho, we were asked to build a medical outpost some distance from the nearest facility.
I drew up the detailed building plans and specifications, we hired a local builder and delivered the building materials to the site. As I had limited opportunity to supervise the construction, the builder decided to follow his own specifications. Instead of the correct depth and thickness of concrete in the foundations, he made them half the thickness and width demanded. The strength of mortar and plaster was poor because he reduced the mixture of cement, pocketing the sale of the unused bags of cement. As a result the building ended up with huge cracks, and years later had to be torn down.
As parents, we can have a profound effect on the future health of our children by the lifestyle behaviours we incorporate into their lives. Ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages delight their eyes, and demand their attention. These foods have been scientifically developed to be addictive by stimulating the pleasure centres in their brains. Advertising on TV and media reinforce their cravings. Because our offspring demand these “foods” we feel we are showing our love by capitulating. Parenting is a deeply responsible occupation. It takes fortitude, wisdom and consistency to counteract the harmful pressures of marketing and societal norms, and “build” healthy children.
What do the studies show? The last National Health and Nutrition survey in South Africa showed an overweight and obesity rate of 13% in children one to five years old. This is twice the global average of 6,1%.
Many parents believe their children are healthy if they are chubby. But these children will grow up to be obese adults, at great risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease and cancer. By allowing them to become that way when they are young through what we feed them, we are setting them up for lifelong health problems and perhaps even an early death.
How can we prevent that scenario? How can we ensure they have a good “foundation” and a strong “superstructure” for a healthy life? The healthiest foods are whole fruits, vegetables, whole grains (eg whole wheat, brown rice, oats, green mielies or sweet corn, sorghum, quinoa and barley), legumes (eg beans, lentils, peas, chick-peas, peanuts and soya products), some tree nuts (almonds and cashews), seeds (sunflower, pumpkin and chia), mushrooms and herbs or spices. Protein sources should be low in saturated fats (lean meats, poultry and fish) and preferably mostly plant proteins. It is easier to control excess weight-gain by using primarily whole plant foods.
Foods that we must limit include sugar-sweetened drinks (sodas, fruit juices, sweetened dairy and frozen juices), sweets, sugary breakfast cereals, crisps and other snack foods, fried fast-foods, pastries, sugar-loaded confectionary, ice-cream, and highly refined staples (white rice, white bread and buns and super maize meal).
Hopefully, proposed laws enforcing front-labelling of harmful foods will soon be implemented. This will make good food choices easier to identify.
V Dr Dave Glass is a retired obstetrician/gynaecologist living in Somerset West. He is also chairperson of the South African Lifestyle Medicine Association (Salma).
