From Hungry to Heavy

Poor people all around the world are starving. Or are they?

 

For sure there’s still many nations gripped by hunger and poverty but more recently some of the world’s developing nations are facing a new problem – poorer people are getting fat. ABC’s Foreign Correspondent aired a great documentary looking into this very issue (1).

Cheap calorie dense foods are flooding into nations such as Mexico, China and Brazil and the locals, understandably, are embracing them with great enthusiasm. Western manufacturing techniques have enabled food companies to pack fat and sugar into foods or drinks without the nutrients that naturally accompany them in whole foods. They are able to do this on a massive scale and often in a way that makes the food non-perishable allowing them to export this stuff by the container load. The poor farmer trying to sell some fresh vegetables at the local market really does not stand a chance. The nutritional value in some of these foods is so bad, and they’re being consumed so exclusively, that doctors are seeing patients presenting both obese and malnourished at the same time.

 

So how do you combat this issue? Let’s look at a few options:

 

1. Educate.

This obviously makes good sense but judging by trends in our reasonably health literate society that may be an uphill battle.

2. Limit importation of these foods.

This sounds logical but these countries aren’t third world anymore and companies with local ownership would have no problem filling the void. The same argument could be used when suggesting that big companies such as Coca Cola and Nestle have a moral obligation to limit trade in these environments.

3. ‘Junk food’ tax.

There’s been talk about this in already developed countries and a ‘fat tax’ was trialled in Denmark but seems to be failing. Could taxation have a greater effect on people with lower income though? It’s certainly going to be complicated. Are you only going to tax Coca Cola or are you going whack a tax on white bread, potatoes and rice? Good luck trying to convince the Chinese on the last one.

 

Whatever way you look at it this is an issue that isn’t going to go away on it’s own and I’d urge anyone with an interest to take a look at the doco. Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

You can check the doco out at;

http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2012/s3547707.htm

 

1. Globesity – Fat’s New Frontier. Foreign Correspondent: Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2012. p. 60 minutes.