PAN South Africa Calls for Comprehensive Nutrition Education for National Nutrition Week

Every year from 9 to 15 October is National Nutrition Week in South Africa, promoted by the Department of Health. The theme for 2024 is “Nutritious Diets for Everyone,” aligning with the United Nations’ goal for sustainable development, focusing on encouraging diets that meet the nutritional needs of people at all life stages. The significance of this campaign is in its mission to address nutritional deficiencies and promote a healthier nation. With a large percentage of the population, especially children and women, suffering from malnutrition, this period is geared towards spreading knowledge about the critical role nutrition plays in growth, immunity, cognitive development, and overall well-being. It also emphasises the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart conditions through proper nutrition.

Each day, what we eat impacts on our physical and cognitive abilities, as well as our emotional well-being. Healthy eating powers our performance at work and school and enables us to enjoy our lives more fully. Unfortunately, many South African diets include plenty of foods and drinks that are high in sugar, salt and saturated fat, while low in vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, fibre and essential nutrients. There is also a high prevalence of the consumption of processed foods over meals using whole foods. Adding to the dilemma, physicians and medical doctors of all stripes are not necessarily equipped by our education system to address and discuss people’s vital nutritional needs during consultation. 

“There is a significant gap in the medical education system, with physicians receiving insufficient training on nutrition, particularly plant-based nutrition,” said Professor Andrew Robinson, Chairperson of PAN South Africa. “Nutrition must be included in the medical curriculum of all healthcare professionals to enable them to fully support patients in adopting healthier lifestyles and more sustainable dietary patterns.”

Research conducted by PAN South Africa on Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) across Africa further underscores the need for reform. Only 20% of African countries have established national dietary guidelines, with just one country formally recognising vegetarian diets. This is in contrast to traditional African diets, which are predominantly plant-based, centred around whole foods, indigenous fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, with only occasional consumption of animal products.

“African countries, despite having a rich tradition of plant-based eating, lack official guidelines to promote these dietary patterns,” added Professor Robinson. “Dietary guidelines form the foundation for healthy, sustainable food choices, providing a framework for widespread education and informed decision-making. National FBDGs have a tremendous influence on the dietary habits of the population of their respective country, as they impact many sectors of society—from schools to healthcare institutions, agricultural practices and even public policies.”

While globally we have high rates of childhood overweight and obesity, we also have one in four South African children under five years affected by stunting, a medical condition that robs them of reaching their full potential and makes them more vulnerable to developing Type 2 diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases as adults. It’s not just the youth who need more awareness of the South African guidelines for healthy eating. Parents, educators and employers will all benefit from focusing on these healthy eating principles and its benefits: such as maintaining a productive workforce with minimised days required for sick leave.

The continued rise in global obesity over the past decades is of great concern with an increase of 14.9% in women and 10.8% in men. One of the goals of the National Strategy for the Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases in South Africa 2022 – 2027 is to encourage nutritious diets. A healthy diet helps protect communities against malnutrition and diet-related noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. 

As Nutrition Week highlights the importance of good nutrition, PAN South Africa is calling for the integration of comprehensive nutrition education into the medical training curriculum. This, along with the development of dietary guidelines that reflect the continent’s heritage of plant-forward eating, has the potential to transform health outcomes and promote environmental sustainability.

ENDS

Media Contact

ProVeg South Africa – Wikus Engelbrecht – Communications Manager: [email protected]; +27 64 172 0120

About ProVeg South Africa:

ProVeg South Africa is the local branch of ProVeg International. ProVeg is an international food awareness organisation working to transform the global food system by replacing conventional animal-based products with plant-based and cultured alternatives.

ProVeg works with international decision-making bodies, governments, food producers, investors, the media, and the general public to help the world transition to a society and economy that are less dependent on animal agriculture and more sustainable for humans, animals, and the planet.

About PAN South Africa:

The Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN) South Africa, a leading health and medical non-profit organisation, is advocating for a stronger focus on nutrition education in healthcare. PAN South Africa works with health science students, healthcare professionals, and policymakers, empowering them to raise awareness about the critical role plant-forward diets play in preventing chronic disease, addressing climate change, and mitigating pandemic risks.