Lahore, (PR) : Pakistan is facing a concerning escalation in the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and non-communicable diseases linked to diet. Data reveals that there is a sharp increase in childhood obesity, with statistics indicating a near doubling of overweight cases among children under 5 from 2011 to 2018. The prevalence of obesity and overweight among women of reproductive age surged from 28% to 38% during the same period. Sweet drinks are very high in sugar with 7 to 8 teaspoons of sugar in a small (250 ml) glass. These drinks include soda, juices, squashes, canned flavored milk, iced tea etc. Regular consumption of flavored milks and other sugary drinks increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, several types of cancer, liver & kidney diseases and tooth decay in children. The regular consumption of sweet drinks increases the risk of diabetes by 30%. This was shared during the media sensitization session organized by Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) at a local hotel in Lahore.
PANAH requested Government of Punjab to halt the supply of flavored milk to school children as this will increase the risk of children becoming obese and ultimately increasing their risk for diabetes and other chronic diseases.
“Government may consider providing unsweetened milk to school children, which is a healthful option. The research shows that there is a good acceptability of unsweetened milk in the school children” said by Munawar Hussain consultant at Global Health Advocacy Incubator. “The flavored milk contains nearly 10 percent of the sugar. World health organization recommended reducing sugar consumption to five percent of total caloric intake for better health gains, particularly if it is coming through liquid sources”. he added.
Former Director General Health Punjab Dr. Fayyaz Ahmed Ranjha said that non-communicable diseases especially obesity, diabetes, and kidney diseases are increasing in children at an alarming rate in Pakistan. Our unhealthy dietary patterns are among the major reasons of this hike in diseases. Flavored canned milk is dangerous for children health like other sweet drinks. He urged government of Punjab to take immediate action to stop the provision of canned flavored milk to school children and replace it with unsweetened plain milk.
Mr. Sana Ullah Ghumman, General Secretary PANAH emphasized that nutrient present in the milk could not offset the high amount of sugar in the flavored milk. Supply of flavored milk may be counterproductive for the health of children. He requested the concerned government authorities to prioritizing public health instead of corporate interest. He also demanded an investigation to uncover the nexus between private sector company supplying flavored milk and some of the people in the government pushing such policy decisions.
Other speakers also highlighted the health harms of canned flavored milk and requested government to provide healthier alternatives to c