Yuletide: Experts Caution Against Overindulgence in Sugary Drinks
Experts are urging caution against excessive consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs), commonly known as soft drinks, during this festive season. The warning comes in light of the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) linked to the consumption of these sugary beverages.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines SSBs as any drinks containing free sugars, including carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks, fruit and vegetable juices, liquid and powder concentrates, flavored water, energy drinks, sports drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and flavored milk drinks.
According to WHO, these sugary beverages provide no nutritional benefits and are neither essential nor beneficial to a healthy diet.
WHO guidelines recommend that both adults and children reduce their intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their daily energy intake. This is roughly equivalent to 12 teaspoons of table sugar for adults on a 2,000 kcal diet and 9 teaspoons for children on a 1,500 kcal diet.
Consumption of sugary drinks has been known to increase the global burden of obesity and other associated diseases. When taken excessively, these drinks increase the risk of dental caries, type 2 diabetes mellitus, excess weight, and obesity, which in turn increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, other cardiometabolic conditions, and some cancers.
These NCDs pose a threat to the public health of every country that is known to consume sugar-sweetened beverages, and Nigeria is not an exception, as NCDs account for nearly 30 percent of deaths in Nigeria in 2019, according to the world health organization’s Country Disease Outlook of August 2023.
Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, at a sugar-sweetened beverages conference recently, said that Nigeria faces a rising health burden resulting from high consumption of SSBs which are a major cause of NCDs
Represented by Olubunmi Aribeana, director of the food and drug services department of the ministry, Pate explained, “The consumption of SSBs has been linked to numerous health risks, including obesity, heart disease, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, kidney diseases, non-alcoholic liver disease, tooth decay, cavities, and gout.
“The health burden of SSB consumption is particularly significant in low- and middle-income countries, where rates of obesity and related health problems are on the rise. In Nigeria, we face a growing health crisis with SSB-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes. The associated healthcare costs are escalating at an alarming rate.
“Recent reviews and meta-analyses by the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) reveal that, as of 2021, over 3.6 million people in Nigeria are living with diabetes, with 53% of them undiagnosed. This number is expected to rise to approximately 5 million by 2030. The cost of diabetes treatment has increased significantly, from an average of N60,000 per person in 2011 to N800,000 in 2021, and it is projected to exceed N1,000,000 by 2030.”
Discussing the financial impact, the minister emphasized that Nigerians could be spending as much as N1 million per person for diabetes treatment by 2030.
Francis Fagbule, a public health dentist at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, pointed out that while the immediate impact of increased sugar consumption on hospital visits after the festive season is uncertain, excessive intake of sugary drinks during this period can worsen health conditions over time. These conditions typically develop gradually, contributing to long-term health issues.
Fagbule further explained that energy drinks containing alcohol can have more immediate effects. Overconsumption of such drinks often leads to intoxication and poor decision-making, which can result in risky behaviors, accidents, and injuries. “During the festive season, we do see an increase in emergency cases related to these issues,” he said.
In conclusion, Fagbule urged people to be mindful of their consumption of sugary and alcoholic beverages during festive periods to safeguard their health and avoid preventable emergencies.
On the reason why many Nigerians consume a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages despite knowing the dangers, the public health practitioner said advertising, cultural and social traditions, and cheapness of price and availability remained enabling factors.
He also mentioned that consumption of sugary drinks had become a habit hence the need for continuous public health awareness messages to help break the habit.
To help reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, Fagbule said a multi-pronged approach with practical and impactful measures would be required.
He emphasized, “Health campaigns must be targeted and consistent, clearly outlining the dangers of excessive sugar consumption. These messages should be simple, culturally relevant, and widely disseminated through radio, television, and social media to reach all populations, both rural and urban.
“Strict regulations need to be enforced to prevent misleading advertisements that portray sugary drinks as healthy or essential. Marketing directed at children and vulnerable groups must be restricted to shield them from these harmful tactics.
“We must also encourage the production and affordability of healthier beverage options, such as clean water, infused water, and unsweetened fresh juices. Promoting these alternatives provides people with better choices.”
He further emphasized the importance of incorporating nutrition and healthy lifestyle education into school curricula to help children develop lifelong healthy habits. Additionally, he advocated for clear, easy-to-understand labels showing sugar content and health risks of overconsumption, similar to warning labels on cigarette packs.
He also highlighted several healthier and more accessible alternatives, including water, infused water with natural fruit flavors like lemon, cucumber, mint, or berries, unsweetened fresh fruit juices, coconut water, unsweetened teas, and milk or fortified non-dairy alternatives.
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), a pan-African organization, highlighted its findings from research and advocacy campaigns against the normalization of SSBs as staple foods in Nigeria.
Abayomi Sarumi, senior manager of Healthy Food Policy for CAPPA told BusinessDay that findings showed the SSB industry, its allies, and front groups consistently undermined government policies aimed at protecting the Nigerian public.
In this effort, the industry deploys different tactics to deny, delay, and dilute the instruments put in place by the government,” said Sarumi.
As part of the findings, he added that recently, the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) launched a report titled ‘Sweetened Profits: The Industry Playbook to Fight Sweetened Beverage Taxes’ which exposes the SSB industry’s increasing efforts to destroy public health measures that reduce sweetened beverages consumption and protect public health.
Sarumi said the report revealed that the SSB industry used various underhand tactics to protect their markets at the detriment of the health of their consumers — the same playbook as the tobacco industry.
He said the report highlighted other tactics, “including using of false narratives to sell products, cries of economic woes to get the government to remove taxes, threat and blackmail of pulling out of the market, and even more recently, fake promises like a 1 billion investment that a multinational has promised the FG 3 times in the last 5 years.”
The healthy food policy manager said he believed that the public understood the dangers and impact of excessive sugar consumption. He however expressed worries that the public didn’t realise that sugar-sweetened beverages were loaded with excess free sugar that is dangerous for their health.
He explained, “SSBs have been marketed as a way to enhance enjoyment, offering a taste of luxury and even claiming to give consumers superpowers, particularly in advertisements targeted at children. The real issue lies in the perception and narrative surrounding these products.”
“In Nigeria’s northern region, the industry capitalizes on the cultural use of sugar, promoting these drinks as a means to endure the intense heat. In contrast, in the southern part of the country, these products are marketed as symbols of affluence, with the attitude of ‘something must kill a man.’”
“Unfortunately, we’re up against a multi-billion-dollar industry that has mastered the use of media to shape public perception, making this a challenging issue to address.”
When asked about the adequacy of existing regulatory policies, Sarumi noted that while there are various regulations concerning unhealthy diets in Nigeria, there are no specific policies focused on the marketing of SSBs. This gap highlights the need for CAPPA’s comprehensive campaign advocating for an SSB tax.
In 2021, Nigeria joined over 100 countries in introducing taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. Included in the Finance Act of 2021, this tax imposes a N10 charge per litre on all non-alcoholic, sweetened, and carbonated drinks. This initiative aims to improve public health and healthcare financing by discouraging excessive consumption of sugary beverages. It is also expected to reduce the prevalence of obesity and diabetes, thereby lightening the financial strain on Nigeria’s already overburdened healthcare system.
