SEND GHANA and GAND organises a day's symposium to sensitise Ghanaians about healthy and unhealthy diets

In a bid to assistance Ghanaians admit the consequences of the nutrient choices they make, the Ghana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (GAND) and SEND GHANA organised a day's symposium for University of Cape Coast students connected the dichotomy betwixt a steadfast and an unhealthy diet.

Rational for Symposium and Advocacy

The symposium, held astatine the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Graduate School Auditorium, connected Wednesday, 8th May, 2025, focused connected Food Labelling and Marketing Policies successful Ghana. It formed portion of accusation gathering aimed astatine formulating a argumentation line connected the Front-of-Package Warning Labelling and Nutrition Profiling Models (FOPWL).

Miss Baaba Sam, a typical from SEND GHANA, reiterated that the main extremity of the advocacy was to assistance the mean Ghanaian instrumentality complaint of their regular nutrition by identifying a healthy, balanced fare from an unhealthy one. Again, the advocacy aimed to enlighten Ghanaians connected FOPWL wrong Ghana's nutrient environment. She indicated that the craze for ultra-processed foods creeping into Ghanaian civilization is worrying and a large contributory origin successful the surge successful non-communicable diseases and obesity.

A Call to Check Sugar and Salt Consumption

She asked the subordinate whether they had a just thought astir the quantum of sweetener and brackish consumed from the opening of the twelvemonth till now? Continuing her presentation, Madam Sam highlighted that, successful caller times, determination are much unhealthy foods than steadfast foods connected the market, arising from their availability, cost, and casual entree alternatively than the steadfast ones. She attributed this inclination to the changing nutrient environment, noting that determination are present much salty, sugary, fatty, and processed foods successful our assemblage than existent steadfast foods, specified arsenic fruits and vegetables.

Deaths Arising from Nocommunicable Diseases

Dr. Nana Ama Frimpomaa Agyapong of the Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, UCC, who spoke astir the nutrient environment, posited that, successful the World Health Organization's (WHO) assessment, non-communicable diseases are the starring origin of death. In 2021, they were related to 75% of non-pandemic-related mortality. Further, successful assessing morbidity and mortality, the WHO inactive recovered that non-communicable diseases were the predominant origin of death, accounting for 43 cardinal deaths globally; of these deaths, astir 80% were successful processing countries, including Ghana.

She revealed that deaths from non-communicable diseases, though troubling, are adjacent much concerning due to the fact that of the ages astatine which the affected dice - premature deaths, with immoderate dying adjacent earlier the property of 20. According to her, these deaths effect from changing nutrient patterns and the overconsumption of highly processed foods.

Look outs connected nutrient labelling

Mr. J. C. Okyere, Head of Food Safety astatine the Food and Drugs Authority, took participants done what they should look retired for successful presumption of labelling, sharing the following: the sanction of the product, the state of origin, value of the product, expiry date, and the contents indispensable beryllium visibly displayed connected the products.

Way guardant connected argumentation action

Chairman for the occasion, Prof. Sebastian Eliason, Dean, School of Medical Sciences, UCC, successful his closing remarks referenced the bully aged days erstwhile astir Ghanaians went retired hunting and cultivated farms for subsistence purposes, ensuring the availability of fresh, natural, and steadfast foods connected the marketplace for consumption.

He thanked each the students who participated successful the symposium connected Front-of-Package Warning Labelling and Nutrition Profiling Models (FOPWL), urging each to lend to charting a way guardant successful the advocacy towards a desired end.

"I anticipation that this argumentation volition not dice connected the shelves arsenic has happened to others that were ne'er implemented. I'm challenging the framers of the argumentation to guarantee its implementation erstwhile finalised", helium stressed.