Ban tempting food ads in fight against obesity? Fat chance
By Duncan Reyneke
IF you are bit on the heavy side, blame the food industry for advertising delicious high-calorie meals that leave you begging for more.
And the solution? The advertising of fattening food should be regulated and possibly banned at certain times of the day.
This is the suggestion of Professor Tessa van der Merwe, who operates an obesity clinic in Pretoria, and is attending a conference on obesity in Port Elizabeth.
Van der Merwe, chairman of the South African Society for the Study of Obesity, is among 580 professionals from around the world attending the congress at the Feather Market Centre.
She said the food industry was largely to blame for the increase in obesity, and the government needed to take a stand and come up with legislation relating to responsible advertising.
“Where is the social responsibility with this kind of advertising? The exploitative marketing by food companies advertising high-fat, high-energy meals . . . needs to be curbed, and the government has the power to cut it back at certain times of the day.”
Van der Merwe said one of the aims was to change the idea of obesity being lifestyle-related. She said effective education was needed to address a belief that it was related to “weakness or lack of discipline”.
The 44th annual congress of the South African Gastroenterology Society draws to a close today, having addressed the issue of obesity in South Africa since Sunday. The congress focused on the causes, treatment and scientific and public awareness of a problem classified as a medical disease since 1997.
Van der Merwe will be joining Professor Heine van der Walt, a world leader in obesity surgery, and Dr James Garisch, a Port Elizabeth-based gastroenterologist, in a public outreach programme today, fielding questions from interested or concerned community members.
“We can point people in the right direction for proper recovery. People need to understand how this works – that a body mass index of between 35 and 40 is considered a medical disease and needs the appropriate treatment.
“Not only that, but it is a disease that needs to be treated, and managed, for the rest of your life,” Van der Merwe said.
The body mass index measures a person‘s weight against height. An index of between 20 and 25 is considered normal, while 25 to 30 is considered overweight.
“Obesity strikes very hard when it‘s misunderstood, as is often the case, I‘m afraid.
“Ideas like children ‘growing out of‘ being obese are dangerous, and it is the parents‘ responsibility to seek help for their children.”
The public interaction will take place from 2pm to 4.30pm today.
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