Instant noodles have become a staple meal for students, those too busy to cook and those on a budget.
The days of instant noodles acting as a quick meal and budget-friendly hack, however, are limited, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Professor Carlos Augusto Monteiro claimed that copious amounts of evidence exist that proves the negative effects that foods such as these leave on the body. He goes on to urge the government to be proactive in safeguarding against foods such as these.
Ultra-processed foods need to be regulated by governmental policies in order to reduce chronic disease globally.
Ultra-processed foods (UPF) contain increased amounts of salt, sugar, fat and additives, which have proven links to obesity, cancer, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Products which have been industrially manufactured and include artificial flavours, emulsifiers and colouring are included in the UPF bracket.
Snacks, which tend to be high in calories and low in nutrients, also fall in this bracket.
Monteiro further comments that a problem occurs with food which rests between falling within the definitions of ‘ultra-processed’ and ‘processed.’
He advises that less weight be attached to the technical definitions of UPF’s and focus policies on food groups which have a high likelihood of being ultra-processed.
A few evident examples of such products include reconstituted meat products, instant noodles and cool drinks.
The Citizen reports that the World Health Organisation ranked South Africa among the nations with the highest levels of obesity.
Monteiro in conclusion, proposed a global convention on ultra-processed foods along with national dietary guidelines detailing which UPFs to avoid.
The Western Cape Government reported that approximately 31% of men and 68% of women in the country are obese.
In addition, 13% of children between the ages of 6 and 14 years old also suffer from obesity.
Statistics in the Western Cape specifically indicate that 62.2% of women and 25.1% of men are classified as obese.
The alarming statistics and lack of proper nutritional education and regulation indicate that obesity is not recognised as a serious health risk.
Being overweight increases an individuals risk of heart disease, gallstones, diabetes, high blood pressure and more.
The disease is caused by poor eating habits, lack of exercise and sometimes as a result of genetics.
Recommended lifestyle changes include regular exercise, increase of fibre intake, incorporating more vegetables in your meals and making use of healthier cooking methods.
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Written by Kirshni Kulsen for Cape Etc.
Feature image: Pexels
