The Zambia Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition Alliance has proposed that Government introduces a fat tax on junk foods in an effort to promote healthy diets.
Zambia Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition Alliance Communications and Advocacy Manager Eneyah Phiri said a fat tax would make unhealthy foods a lot more expensive which will in turn promote the consumption of healthy diets.
Zambia is currently facing a double burden of malnutrition with around 40 percent of its children under five years old stunted while 23 percent of women are obese or overweight.
Mr Phiri said at the moment, healthy foods are more expensive compared to sugary, high fat and carbonated drinks.
“The last purchase of a carton of milk i made cost me about K5 but you will find that a carbonated drink would cost half that price and in thus hard economic times, most households are failing to consume healthy foods such as milk and fruits,” Mr Phiri said
He was speaking when he featured on a live Let the People Talk radio programme alongside Zambia Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition Alliance Nutrition Programme Officer Nelly Phiri.
Mr Phiri warned that rising levels of overweight are causing a rise in the cases of Non-Communicable Diseases such as diabetes and High Blood Pressure.
He said the malnutrition situation in Zambia is alarming hence the need increase focus on addressing the cause of malnutrition.
“As an organisation, we are trying to spotlight on malnutrition which is a silent killer. We are working in three of the 14 priority districts, we are in Mumbwa, Samfya and Lundazi and we work and advocacy and social mobilisation of local people to change the nutrition situation.”
And Ms Phiri said there is need to promote health education in the Zambian school curriculum if the country is to fight the rising levels of obesity and under nutrition.
Especially KFC …kikikiki
what about SPAR
Have you taken any milk product, such as yoghurt ( modern mabisi) today? Thank kachema
have you eaten any meat product such as sausage or T-bone today? Thank kachema
Are you wearing any leather product such as shoes or leather jacket today or carrying a leather hand bag today?
Thank kachema
have eaten any creal product like maize or rice or wheat?
Thank kachema
have you smoked …….?
Not a good idea. That would be stealing from via taxation. A lot of countries in the west do this on certain items, and it is plainly wrong.
Why not educate people, starting from primary age about healthy dieting and exercising?
In fact, obesity in zed is linked to alcohol abuse, or mostly affects ministers like Kambwili – those with access to inlimited funds.
Go to Kamwala or George compound and show us who is obese there.
Ukusabaila. simply because the developed nations are doing it ninshi we should also copy? We need to look at the context before applying some of these things that are done by others to our own situations. Zambia is nowhere close to having an obesity problem. Focus on sorting out undernutrition while strengthening education and public health systems to deal with future POTENTIAL obesity crisis.
Good point! Poor people from George compound or shango’ombo, or Nabwalya don’t have the money nor access to afford unfettered access to feed at KFC, Hungry lion etc. The tax gained (from those that ordinarily afford this junk food) would help to bridge the budget deficit assuming one “Jameson” Lungu does not misuse it on globe trotting
Kambwili is the poster child of how junk food has gone awry in Zambia. And every time that fatso shows his face on TV or anywhere in public it is a disservice to this country because he is sending a subtle message that perhaps it is OK to be a ballooned fat bugger like that.
NUTRITION IS A CRITICAL WORD IN EVERYBODS LIFE AS AN AN INVIDIVUAL AND THROUGH SENSETASATION, EDUCATION OF ITS LANGUAGE AND IMPORTANCE THEN A NUTRITIOUS NATION WIL BE BUILT.