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Zimbabwean women are worryingly becoming obese

Features Editor —
The Director of Family Health in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Bernard Madzima says proper nutrition is one of the ways to reduce obesity.

Good nutrition entails consuming a healthy diet throughout the life course in order to prevent malnutrition in all its forms as well as a range of non-communicable diseases and conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

A healthy diet contains:
Fruits, vegetables, legumes (eg lentils, beans), nuts and whole grains (eg unpro­cessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice).

Less than 10 percent of total energy intake from free sugars, which is equivalent to 50 g (or around 12 level teaspoons) for a person of healthy body weight consuming approximately 2 000 calories per day.

Most free sugars are added to foods or drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and can also be found in sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.

Less than 30 percent of total energy intake is from fats. Unsaturated fats (eg found in fish, avocado, nuts, sunflower, canola and olive oils) are preferable to saturated fats (eg found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese and lard. Trans fats (found in processed food, fast food, snack food, fried food, pizza, pies, cookies, margarines and spreads) are not part of a healthy diet.

Healthy diet for children and adults, include the following elements:

1. Limit consumption of energy-dense foods

Limit sugary drinks such as soft drinks

Limit consumption of fried and fatty foods.

2. Eat mostly foods of plant origin

Eat at least 400 g (at least 2½ teacups) of a variety of non-starchy vegetables and of fruits daily. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and other starchy roots are not classified as fruits or vegetables.

Eat relatively unprocessed cereals (grains) and/or pulses (legumes) with every meal

Limit refined starchy foods
3. Limit intake of red meat and avoid processed meat

Limit consumption of red meat such as beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton and goat to less than 500g of red meat a week.

Avoid consumption of processed meat such as hot dogs, ham, sausages, corned beef, and biltong, canned meat and meat-based sauces.

4. If you drink alcohol, limit your intake

Drink not more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.

5. Limit consumption of salt and avoid mouldy cereals (grains) or pulses (legumes).

Avoid salt preserved, salted, or salty foods and snacks such potato crisps, biltong;

Preserve foods without using salt
Limit consumption of processed foods with added salt to ensure an intake of less than 5g of salt (equivalent to approximately one teaspoon) per day and use iodised salt.

Do not add salt at table.
6. Avoid use of dietary supplements without appropriate advice

Aim to meet nutritional needs through diet alone

7. Children to be breastfed

Infants should be breastfed exclusively during the first six months of life.

Infants should be breastfed continuously until two years of age and beyond.

From six months of age, breast milk should be complemented with a variety of adequate, safe and nutrient dense complementary foods. Salt and sugars should not be added to complementary foods.

8. Drink plenty of water

Drink at least two litres of water per day.

9. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight throughout life.

Maintain body weight within the normal range of BMI from age 21

Avoid weight gain and increases in waist circumference throughout adulthood.

10. Be physically active

Adults: Get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity each week (or a combination of these), preferably spread throughout the week.

Children and teens: Get at least one hour of moderate or vigorous intensity activity each day, with vigorous activity on at least three days each week.

Limit sedentary behaviour such as sitting, lying down, watching TV and other forms of screen-based entertainment. Doing some physical activity above usual activities, no matter what one’s level of activity, can have many health benefits.