Risk, non-communicable diseases and ultra-processed food
A Talk by Zandile Mchiza (Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape)
About this Talk
Ultra-processed foods are pervasive in Cape Town diets: cool drinks, fast food burgers, chips, chocolate bars, breakfast cereals and more. These are known to increase the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. But they are also highly profitable, marketed aggressively and distributed - and eaten - widely. How might reducing the dietary share of ultra-processed foods improve the nutritional quality of diets, health and well-being? What will it take to make this happen? What has the pandemic revealed about our food choices during crisis and what can this tell us about a way forward?
<hr>To gain an even deeper understanding of these issues, see the links under "Media" on this page.
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A response by the speaker to comments received within the first week of the talk going live are available for viewing here: https://youtu.be/3qjz9Ax1bak
About The Speaker
Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape
Zandile Mchiza is an Associate Professor at the School Of Public Health at the University of the Western Cape. Her research area sketches the scope, extent and determinants of metabolic diseases in South Africa such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes, and the unmet need for response of these health conditions.