Bad feeding making rich Ugandans sick - experts

Kampala. The increasing cases of diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and other non-communicable diseases among Ugandans are a result of bad feeding and malnutrition, nutrition experts have said.
While releasing the policy documents on the state of nutrition among Ugandans yesterday, Prof Patrick Webb, the technical adviser for the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, said new scientific evidence shows that the food wealthy Ugandans now eat, is causing ill health resulting in diseases which are killing more Ugandans compared to HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis.
“The rise of non-communicable diseases such as diarrhoea, respiratory infections, neo-natal disorders, specific nutritional deficiencies, under nutrition, cardiovascular disorders diseases are becoming epidemic,” he said, adding that this is affecting the productivity of Ugandans.
Prof Webb attributed the rise in the diseases to advertising, new markets dealing in processed foods and the private sector which portrays processed food as trendy and high class.
He said Ugandans have been brainwashed and abandoned food such as greens, cereals, whole grains, fruits, fish to concentrate on fast foods which lack vital nutrients the body requires.
Dr Margaret Kabahenda, a senior nutrition lecturer at Makerere University, said a study they conducted in 2014, showed that many Ugandans do not understand dietary diversity because they are not well informed about balanced diets. She noted that mothers are no longer breasting children exclusively as recommended by the World Health Organisation because they do not feed on food which would provide them with milk .
According to Ms Kabahenda, many mothers depend on one meal a day which comprises staple foods which are deficient in energy, and other dietary needs required by the body.
“This is not improving breast feeding either and most communities need nutrition and diet education,” she said.
The Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, who launched the policy documents said it is quite absurd that despite the enormous resources government has injected into improving the quality of life of Ugandans through better incomes, the country is beginning to lose both money and Ugandans to treat lifestyle diseases.