A food technologist, Dr. Adewale Obadina, on Wednesday said unrestricted snacking and eating of junks accounted for the recent increase in the rate of diabetes among teenagers in the country.
Obadina, who works with the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Ogun State, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
NAN reports that snack is a portion of food often smaller than a regular meal, generally eaten between meals, while junk is pre-prepared or packaged food that has low nutritional value.
Obadina spoke against the backdrop of world Diabetes Day theme for 2014 to 2016, which is: “Healthy Living Starts At Breakfast.”
World Diabetes Day is the primary global awareness campaign of the diabetes world and is held on November 14 each year.
It was introduced in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organisation in response to the alarming rise of diabetes around the world.
But the theme for this year’s day: “Healthy Living And Diabetes,” focuses on starting each day right by having a healthy breakfast.
A healthy breakfast should help blood sugar levels from getting too high and should keep you full through the morning.
Whilst cereal and toast may be cheap, these options typically raise blood sugar levels rapidly and may leave you hungry again before lunch.
Obadina said there had been series of complaints from medical personnel on the increase of type II diabetes among teenagers, noting that the reason was not farfetched.
He said: “A visit to private and public schools will surprise you, the type of food on their menu list.
“They are full of junks.
“This should create fear in people.
“In the past, this was not the case as there were dedicated cooks in the schools responsible for lunch meals even in the day school.
“Foods served there are quality and standard.
“Those days are not in vogue any more.
“Parents now buy snacks for their wards everyday and even encourage them having ice creams regularly.”
On the dangers associated with habitual consumption of snacks and junks by children, Obadina said they were at the risk of diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases.
He said: “Before type II diabetes was known as adult onset diabetes because it was virtually unheard of affecting children.
“But with the growing childhood obesity epidemic in recent years, younger ones are now being diagnosed with the disease.
“Parents seem not to understand the risk.
“An obese child stands 98 per cent risk of developing type II diabetes.
“Also 50 percent of overweight and obese teenagers had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
“Other ailment may include high cholesterol and high blood pressure.”
Obadina warned against the dangers that might be associated with diabetes among teenagers, saying it could be something genetically transferred if not taking care of.
He said: “It may get to a level whereby one in three children born will have diabetes in their lifetime.
“We are raising a generation of teenagers to live sicker and die younger than their parents.
“For us in this third world country, our life expectancy is actually declining.
“Then we are affecting it more by toying with the health of our children through bad eating habits.
“With the fast life associated with many homes now, parents now prefer taking their children out for dinner frequently because there is no time to cook at home.
“The problem is that eating away from home only once a week could translate into weight gain that may be out of control for the teenagers.”
Scholars have also claimed that foods served in restaurants were not the type of regular meals teenagers should be indulged with because it contains additives.
Obadina said: “Approximately a third of all high cholesterol foods consumed by people come from restaurants, including fast food places.
“People have less time to go to market, shopping and home cooking.
“They work and stay longer hours in traffic.
“Many don’t have kitchen, with some ladies lacking cooking skills.
“Some even think that eating out is cheaper and going out for dinner is a way of motivating children.
“This is a wrong assumption.”
Obadina said the advertisement being put out by various restaurants claiming that they were children-friendly was most deceiving and a death trap.
He said: “Restaurants try to lure in customers by offering big plates and other ‘extra values’.
“The nutritional quality of restaurant food is also a factor.
“The main ingredient found on their menu are added sugars, high fructose, corn syrup, processed and refined grains, oils and trans fats.
“They also secretly add their kitchen flavour.
“These ingredients are known to contribute to weight gain and increase the risk of obesity.
“To children, sweet, fatty and salty snacks are irresistible because their intake results in the release of certain chemicals in the brain that keeps us craving for more.
“The danger there is obesity and a lead to many non-communicable diseases rampant in the society now.”
Obadina also warned that there might be a bleak future if adequate responsibility is not taken by concerned stakeholders, a warning he said if heeded would avert impending consequences.
He said: “The good news is that these developments are largely reversible and avoidable in the future through dietary changes and lifestyle improvements.
“The message here is that children and teenagers need more help with following a healthy diet and staying physically active.
“Society has a role to play, as well nutrition and health education in all public schools.”
Contributing, the Proprietor of Valentina Montessori Primary School, Gbagada, Sola Grillo, said diabetes had been an issue in the past.
Grillo, a UK-trained teacher, said she had to ban parents from including junks as lunch break during school period.
She said: “I know that in Nigeria, we have the mentality that once a child is fat, then he is healthy.
“But to the best of my knowledge, fat is not good for the body.
“I noticed that the students were not calm, so I asked what their meal was like.
“Then I realised that there is too much sugar in their diets.
“From my experience in the UK, I know that the middle class over there watch what they eat and their children too.”
Grillo said she made her intension known to parents, banning sugary things from Monday to Friday.
They should only bring fruits and vegetables.
She added: “I also asked parents to give water in replacement of drinks and it worked.
“Within a week, there was a difference.
“So, from Monday to Friday, no sugary foods in my schools.”
On what they should eat, Grillo said: “I advised they bring carrot, cucumber and other fruits because we need to fight diabetes among these children.
“Diabetes among children is add-ups of all the sugar consumed.
“When they don’t eat healthy foods, their brain will not develop.
“After this, the children picked up and stopped all sorts of complaints about stomach ache as a result of too much sugar,.”
NAN.
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