South Africa’s poor diet is taking a toll

A new extensive study by the Human Science Research Council (HSRC) confirms that South Africa’s diet is fundamentally poor.

According to a new research paper titled National Food and Nutrition: South Africa, our nutrition is wrong in all kinds of ways and government faces an uphill battle to set it straight. South Africa’s diet is so bad, in fact, that all at the same time we’re suffering from malnutrition, hidden hunger and a high rate of obesity, reports Business Tech.

SOUTH AFRICA’S DIET IS TERRIBLE

The comprehensive look into South Africa’s nutrition by the HSRC, covers 34 500 households between 2021 and 2023. Furthermore, the organisation says it is the most comprehensive nationwide review of South Africa’s diet since 1994. Nevertheless, the study emphasises that South Africa is experiencing ‘a triple burden of malnutrition.’ Namely, undernutrition, hidden hunger, and obesity due to poor diet.

Digging deeper and looking beyond the plate, South Africa’s terrible diet is due to far more serious causes. Including, high unemployment (nearly 40% of the ‘workable’ population), widespread poverty, and rampant increases to cost of living. Plus, against thid backdrop of poverty, nearly 50% of adult South Africans are overweight/obese.

HUGE DISCREPANCY

As a result, this huge discrepancy between the have and have-nots goes some way to underlining the complexity of South Africa’s diet. The research calls on government, private sector and civil society to come together to tackle South Africa’s diet effectively to find sustainable solutions.

Moreover, the primary factor contributing to malnutrition in South Africa is the rising cost of food. Many low-income households are unable to afford nutritious food, with only 58.1% of surveyed households maintaining acceptable diets. These households rely on nutrient-poor food groups like cereals, condiments, sugars, and fats to stay fed. Reliance on such foods is a direct result of financial constraints and rising cost of living.

FOOD INSECURITY IN SOUTH AFRICA

The HSRC provided the following breakdown of food insecurity levels in South Africa:

• 17.5% of households are severely food insecure. Reduced meal sizes, skipping meals, or going hungry.
• 26.7% experience moderate food insecurity. Low-quality food and occasionally reduce food intake.
• 19.3% are mildly food insecure. They worry about food availability and quality but don’t reduce their intake.
• 36.5% are food secure. They experience minimal concern about accessing food.

WHAT’S GOVERNMENT’S PLAN?

Accordingly, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced plans to expand the basket of VAT-exempt essential foods. Currently the list looks like this:

• Brown bread
• Mealie meal
• Samp
• Rice
• Fresh vegetables and fruit
• Vegetable oil used for cooking
• Milk
• Maas (cultured milk)
• Eggs
• Legumes like beans, lentils and soya
• Pilchards or sardines in tins

The goal here is to improve South Africa’s diet, alleviate the financial burden on households and make nutritious food more affordable. Which items would you like to see added to the VAT-exempt list?