By Gloria Ogbonna
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) alongside the National Sugar-sweetened Beverage Tax Coalition have raised alarms about the perilous effects of unchecked consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), stressing that the industry prioritizes profits over public health.
Citing research, these organizations accused the SSB industry of deliberately misleading the public by distorting the actual health implications linked to habitual SSB consumption.
They highlighted SSBs, encompassing soda and fruit drinks, as contributors to the escalating rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases, urging the government to address the issue by implementing measures like raising the Pro-health Policy (SSB tax) rate and enacting it into law.
Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA’s Executive Director, underscored the urgency of tackling the dangers posed by SSBs, urging an immediate tax review and advocating for stringent governmental actions, especially with the approaching festive period.
Oluwafemi emphasized, “Despite the industry's portrayal of sugary drinks as harmless pleasures, the truth remains grim. SSBs are packed with empty calories, fueling severe public health crises including diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Shockingly, one in 10 Nigerians now grapple with diabetes, burdening both individuals and the nation’s healthcare system."
Highlighting the industry's deliberate targeting of children and youths through sugary advertising and social activities, Oluwafemi stressed the long-term consequences on health, productivity, and societal resources.
Echoing these concerns, Dr. Francis Fagbule, a Public Health Consultant, deplored the SSB industry's transformation into what he termed as "Commercial determinants of health." He elucidated how profit-centric entities, particularly corporations and industries, influence health behaviors and outcomes through lobbying, resistance to regulations, and campaigns that undermine the associated health risks of SSB consumption.
Dr. Fagbule expressed concerns that such misinformation impedes individuals’ ability to make informed and healthier choices, emphasizing the urgent need for regulatory actions to counter the industry’s detrimental impact on public health.
Source vanguard
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