What is the alternative to good health?

In the quest for getting government to put in place policies that will expand access to healthy foods in Nigeria, there is a need for deliberate education of the public. It is important to fill the information gap through dissemination of scientific facts in ways that are beneficial to the populace. It is also important to explain the gains that will come with such policies. It becomes incumbent to begin to unravel the myths and misconceptions around healthy eating.

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When effective policy options are put on the table, many people raise the option of “awareness” as the most pressing need that must be attended to. We have seen this with government officials who are not eager to do ‘something unpleasant’ in the eyes of the public. It is also common with ‘stakeholders’ who think that all we need to make a change is to be told of dangers associated with a particular behaviour. Look around you and see how that works out.

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They make statements like ‘a tax is too much of a burden for the public’, ‘reformulation is too expensive for the industry’. Yet, when these people are told of the dangers of eating these unhealthy foods, they query ‘what else do you want us to eat’ or sometimes, they say, ‘What is the alternative’ then finish it with ‘don’t mention those things we usually eat as alternatives.’

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Interestingly, many think they make these comments based on their own innate desire to find alternatives, or at the very least, a chance to expand the conversation. What they don’t realise is that they’re acting the script written by the industry – the big multinationals with the huge ads budget that have designed a clear way of making people feel that the good life is embedded in the ‘junks’ they eat.

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Through unrelenting and colourful adverts which promise a ‘heaven on earth’, an average consumer wants to taste the promised good life, thereby making it hard to see a way out of the conundrum of ultra processed foods. They are convinced that their lifestyles where they can afford unhealthy ultra processed foods is equivalent to the luxury of the ‘rich’ who can consume them day in, day out. A trap into a cycle that impoverishes, and slowly aggravates the country’s burden of disease.

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Just like the popular quote credited to philosophers Fredric Jameson and Slavoj ?i?ek, it is easier for many to imagine the end of the world than the end of non-nutritive ultra processed foods. This is because, just like capitalism – a known anchor of urbanization and ‘westernisation’ of diets – many don’t want to see the way out.

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The clamour for alternatives, essentially, alternatives that are slightly healthy but most likely unhealthy, is a weak and ineffective solution to the scourge of diet related diseases. However, there are several issues garbed in misconceptions, false narratives, and myths that propel the successes of UPPs and the expansion of its consumer base.

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Westernisation of Nigerian Diets:

Closely related to urbanization of diets which is driven by rural-urban migration and the growing fast paced lifestyle induced by the use of social media, westernization of the Nigerian diet is a clear pointer to the gimmicks of the UPP industry. Both urbanization and westernization increase the consumption of foods that are high in salt, contain excessive sugar, loaded with industrially produced trans-fatty acids, and less of fruits and vegetables. These foods are less nutritive or non-nutritive, easy to make, and sold as a convenient meal that is beneficial to the body. From feedback gathered from engaging community members, it is clear that many in the communities are lured to these foods by the unrelenting ads, false marketing, and deceptive messaging that accompanies these foods. They are offered as solutions to long cooking time, replacement for healthy and natural foods, and a symbol of good living.

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Expensive Healthy Diets:

Due to the increasing economic downturn in the country, it is forgivable to hear people say that they can’t afford healthy foods. Surprisingly, this has always been the response of many. The popular chorus is ‘fruits are expensive’. The same goes for any food that is categorized as healthy. The misconception of how expensive healthy food is drives a lot of people away from focusing on what is nutritious for their body and health. This deliberate misconception has made it easier for the big food industries, especially UPPs, the opportunity to package their products as replacements to healthy foods. Many food additives are marketed and sold as ‘alternatives’ to vegetables which are cheaper, easier, and provides same value in nutrients.

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However, the real cost of consuming unhealthy diet is the treatment of lifelong diseases, especially non-communicable diseases, loss of productivity, fractioned social structure, and overburdened healthcare system.

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Government’s Roles:

There is a huge gap between what government should be doing and what the government is doing. This gap gives the room for many elements to operate at the detriment of the people. Primarily, government needs to set up policies that will not only expand access to healthy food, but these policies must also ensure that vulnerable groups – including children – are protected against the onslaught of the UPP industry.

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Across a range of food policy issues, government must set up effective and mandatory regulations that will help to protect the people, improve the country’s health, and increase the country’s productivity.

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It is also critical for the government to decisively punish those who violate the laws. This punishment should include payment for health conditions linked to consumption of unhealthy diets like the ones found in the principle of Make Big Polluters Pay (MBPP).

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Clearly, the burden of diseases in Nigeria is alarming and to reverse this trend, the government of Nigeria must consciously put effective policies in place. The people must also begin to understand that there is no alternative to good health.