Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption on the rise in developing countries: IFAD
Thursday, 20 July 2023
Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is on the rise in developing countries, according to a literature review released by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as part of its IFAD Research Series, reports UNB.
The global sales of total per capita volumes of packaged food - which are usually processed which in most cases increases the content of added or free sugars, saturated and trans-fat, salt and diet energy density, while decreasing protein, dietary fibre, and micronutrients - rose from 67.7kg per capita in 2005 to 76.9kg in 2017.
Steep price gaps between healthy and unhealthy foods, coupled with the unavailability of a variety of healthy foods, are driving rising obesity rates in both urban and rural areas of developing countries, IFAD said on Wednesday.
"While price gaps between healthy and unhealthy foods exist in nations across the globe, that price gap is much wider in poorer countries. Also, high-income inequality within a country is associated with a higher prevalence of obesity," said Joyce Njoro, IFAD lead technical specialist, nutrition.
"If we want to curb rising obesity rates in developing countries, we need big solutions that address how food systems work. It is alarming to note that three billion people globally cannot afford a healthy diet," said Njoro.
"Preventing obesity in developing countries requires a comprehensive approach that addresses cultural norms, raises awareness of associated health risks, and promotes the production, availability and affordability of healthy foods."
The research conducted by IFAD, in collaboration with Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation (WCDI), reviewed hundreds of peer-reviewed studies and examined data from five representative countries -- Indonesia, Zambia, Egypt, Nigeria, and Bolivia -- to better understand the drivers of rising obesity rates in developing countries and what types of interventions work to address this global public health challenge from a food system perspective.