…Says Unhealthy Food, Soft Drinks Dangerous
Yemisi Izuora
A medical physiologist and public health specialist, Akin Jimoh, has stressed the important role of Nigerian journalists in communicating public health policies, with regard to the growing concern of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) as they are commonly referred to.
Jimoh, warned that SSB consumption has been associated with the burden of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), that include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancer-a leading cause of death worldwide.
This is so because NCDs have caused 74 per cent of all deaths globally, which is an alarming number.
Jimoh, who is also Program Director, Development Communications Network
Chief Editor, Nature Africa, in his paper “Communicating Public Health Policies — The Roles of Nigerian Journalists in Addressing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages” at a media training session in Lagos, expressed shock about the unbridled consumption of unhealthy foods and beverages among the Nigerian populace and the dilemma of those who knows to caution and guide the process of behaviour change among the Nigerian citizens.
Studies according to him, have indeed shown that evidence of the association between SSB consumption and risks of NCDs has increased.
Being widely available and highly consumed, most especially among children and adolescents, SSBs are mostly found in carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, and pre-sweetened teas and coffees in Nigeria.
This has now become alarming warned Jimoh, who now said Nigerian journalists have a very key role in shaping public perceptions, informing citizens, and holding policymakers accountable in efforts to reduce SSB consumption.
Dwelling on Public Health Challenge of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, he noted that consuming SSB is one of the growing public health challenges in Nigeria among the young population.
He also pointed out that regular consumption of SSBs has been associated with higher risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, dental caries, and other NCDs.
He informed that the World Health Organization (WHO) has pointed out that dietary free sugar added to foods largely by the consumption of SSBs has been recognized to be one of the major factors contributing to the current global pandemic in obesity.
Considering that NCDs are already placing inordinate demands on Nigeria’s healthcare system, the need to reduce SSB intake is highly relevant for improved health outcomes, he counseled.
Jimoh, expressed dismay that despite these very evident health risks, public awareness of the danger that the consumption of SSBs poses to health remains low in Nigeria, adding “It is in respect of this that Nigerian journalists can play an important role by communicating these risks, advocating policy action, and empowering the public to make healthier lifestyle choices.”
He said Journalists should be engaged in enlightening the Public.
Some of the most vital responsibilities of a journalist are to educate the public about the health risks associated with SSB consumption.
Quite a number of Nigerians do not have an idea of how much sugar is hidden in their favorite beverages and the manner in which that contributes to health problems in the long run.
Journalists can simplify complicated health data into understandable terminology to help the general public by promoting healthier lifestyles.
He gave example that the Nigeria Health Watch has successfully used blogs, podcasts, and articles in disseminating critical public health information. Through the presentation of evidence-based facts in easily digestible formats, the Nigerian journalist can help debunk myths about SSBs and encourage Nigerians to cut their sugar intake for better health outcomes.
Also, he said the Media should engage in Advocacy and Public Engagement.
Beyond informing, he said journalists also do some level of advocacy in ensuring that the government is accountable for policies aimed at protecting public health.
In 2021, for example, the Nigerian government proposed a sugar tax to decrease SSB consumption with the hope of decreasing the increasing burden of NCDs. Without sustained public advocacy and continued press coverage, such policies risk failing to achieve full effectiveness.
It also leads to media campaigns that amplify the voices of health experts, activists, and affected individuals who demand more stringent policies in ramping up sugar taxes, improved labeling regulations, and extensive public health campaigns on the risks of SSBs.
This has been a stellar example of how journalism can push along public health campaigns, just as the successful campaign to eradicate polio in Nigeria through radio and television broadcasts showed. This means that they would also be allowed to support campaigns that call for reduced sugar intake and recommend water as one of the healthy options.
He also urged the media to sustain Improvement in Health Literacy.
Through all this, journalists would be helping to increase health literacy in Nigeria and, consequently, enabling the people to make more independent decisions. Effective storytelling—cloaking the general public health messages, such as the rise in diabetes and obesity cases occasioned by free sugar consumption, into real stories—is bound to be catchy and more relatable.
Through interviews with health experts, nutritionists, and people suffering from diseases caused by high sugar intake, journalists can write juicy human-interest stories that emotionally connect with readers or viewers. These may include feature stories exposing the dangers of SSBs in newspapers and television with health pages and health segment on on television, would help the public appreciate the magnitude of the problem.
In addition he challenged them on Fact-Checking and Countering Misinformation.
Nigerian journalists he said have the onus, within the misinformation world of today, to help quell such claims. Millions have been spent by corporations in the beverage industry on marketing that promotes sugary drinks, targeting especially children and youth by portraying them as an embodiment of fun and energy.
These need to be critically assessed by journalists, and fact-checked information presented to the public supported by evidence. Reporters have the potential to diffuse health consequences associated with the over-consumption of sugar by uncovering corporate campaigns aimed at promoting unhealthy behaviour.
He said Premium Times has been on the frontline in ensuring fact-checking and may be used as a model for other similar initiatives in the health sector.
On Tracking Implementation of Policies, he said the relevance of contributions by journalists shows in the processes of monitoring and subsequent follow-through on the implementation of public health policies.
Policies alone are never sufficient, but their proper enforcement makes the difference. Investigative journalism may identify defects in enforcement, such as proper taxation and proper labeling of SSBs, so that the policies serve their purpose.
This can be better understood with the example of the media’s watchdog role in reporting on tobacco control policies in Nigeria-that is, regulations on smoking in public space (Ezeamalo, 2021). They can also ensure, through reporting, that policymakers and companies take the right policy steps regarding SSBs and the protection of public health.
Jimoh, added that the Nigerian journalist remains an indispensable part in the moulding of the public understanding of health issues, and even in the acceptance and implementation of public health policy.
In this instance, the fight against NCDs linked to sugar-sweetened beverages, the role of journalists is very cardinal.
Journalists and media institutions can alter behaviour and save lives by educating the public on proper actions right through to calling for effective policy implementation and monitoring.
They need to continue to rise to this challenge by using their several platforms to push and implement healthier options, upholding global public health policies, ensuring a much healthier future for Nigeria.
