Inflation in consumer price decreased from 7.8% July 2022 to 7.6% in August 2022, according to Statistics SA.
The annual inflation rate is mostly driven by the cost of food and non-alcoholic drinks (NOB).
In addition to contributing 1,9 percentage points to the overall consumer price index (CPI) yearly rate of 7,6%, the price of food and NOB has climbed by 11,3% year over year.
Most South African households are being forced to make changes due to the rising expenses of the monthly food basket.
It is crucial that the country's high prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are affected by an unhealthy diet and include hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, does not make healthy eating difficult due to the existing high cost of food.
In addition to worries about NCDs, the National Department of Health notes that South Africa has the highest rates of overweight and obesity in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In terms of nutrition, South Africa carries a double burden because undernutrition and overnutrition (over supply of nutrients) frequently coexist in our communities, sometimes even in the same household.
According to the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey, 31% of men and 68% of women in South Africa are overweight or obese. Severe obesity affects about 20% of women and 3% of males.
Additionally, compared to the global average of 6.1%, 13.3% of South African children under the age of five are overweight or obese.
All South Africans should adopt new lifestyle habits, such as choosing healthy foods every day and engaging in regular physical activity.
Extensive research indicates that costs of healthy foods, a lack of nutritional understanding, culinary customs, societal constraints, and a lack of time for meal planning and preparation are all obstacles to eating well.
Many of the obstacles to eating healthily are caused by perceptions rather than actual realities. An illustration of this is thinking that eating healthily is more expensive while there are many inexpensive ways to do so.
Maria van der Merwe, the President of ADSA (Association for Dietetics in South Africa) says, “Currently, the high costs of living in South Africa are stimulating changes in what food we buy, and how often we eat out or choose ready-made foods such as takeaways over preparing meals at home.
“We can take advantage of this chance to ensure that healthy eating is a top priority. Consumers can reduce their food prices in a variety of ways. Making an effort to prepare meals and cook meals from scratch at home is both economical and associated with making healthy food selections.”
In order to change the culture of early childhood feeding practices, Nicola Eley, acting executive director of Grow Great, a campaign that aims to inspire South Africa to make a national commitment to achieving zero stunting by 2030, says that mothers and children need access to affordable foods that contain nutrients that promote growth, such as eggs.
She says, “Providing support for moms who are still breastfeeding at work and at home ensures positive growth and development of a baby, coupled with healthy food choices, breastfeeding benefits both mom and baby, and protects children against obesity and stunting later in life.”
For National Nutrition Week 2022, Professor Pamela Naidoo, CEO of The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA), explains how a nutritious diet and regular exercise can lower the chance of acquiring NCDs. She says, “225 South Africans die from cardiovascular disease every day”.
Cardiovascular disease, which includes both heart disease and strokes, is the third-leading cause of death in South Africa, behind tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus.
To put this in perspective, heart disease and stroke claim more lives in South Africa than all forms of cancer combined.
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