ISLAMABAD: Health and nutrition experts have raised alarm over the adverse effects of ultra-processed foods, cautioning that their high content of sugar, salt, and trans fatty acids (TFA) poses significant risks for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). These diseases include obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular ailments, and various types of cancers.
Speaking at an awareness session organized by the Pakistan National Heart Association (PNHA) in Karachi, Munawar Hussain, country coordinator of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), highlighted the deceptive allure of ultra-processed foods, which often incorporate artificial flavors and additives for enhanced taste. However, these choices come at a grave cost, as they contribute substantially to mortality and morbidity.
Hussain emphasized that consumption of such foods serves as a primary driver of obesity and numerous life-threatening conditions such as diabetes, ischemic heart diseases, liver and kidney diseases, strokes, and other chronic ailments. Common items like sugary drinks, flavored dairy products, ice creams, pastas, jams, candies, burgers, samosas, and baked goods have permeated diets and escalated health risks.
Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods
The prevalence of these products is exacerbated by their affordability compared to healthier alternatives. Hussain advocated for governmental interventions to reduce consumption, including elevating taxes on such foods and introducing prominent warning labels on packaging to guide consumers toward healthier choices.
Moreover, Hussain proposed measures to restrict trans fats to below 2% of total fats in all foods, regulate their marketing, remove these products from schools, and provide subsidies for nutritious options such as fruits, vegetables, and lentils. Sana Ullah Ghumman, PNHA’s general secretary, commended recent governmental steps like increased taxes on sugary drinks but urged a broader approach, calling for incremental taxation on unhealthy foods and a comprehensive policy framework.
Fayza Khan, president of the Pakistan Nutrition and Dietetic Society, stressed the necessity of public awareness to counter the harmful effects of highly processed food. Khan underscored the role of health professionals, civil society, nutritionists, media, and dietitians in raising awareness and mobilizing support for policies aimed at reducing the consumption of sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods.
