The Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) hosted a workshop on the harmful effects of ultra-processed food and beverage products with social media influencers at the Chinaar Family Resort Bhurban.
The workshop was attended by bloggers and journalists from various channels, experts spoke about the health hazards of sugary drinks and ultra-processed food, it was surprising to know that in our daily diet, most of the items included are those that are very dangerous to our health, PANAH is trying to create a policy at the government level to change the packaging of such items, and contain all ingredients must be listed on the front of the packet, along with warnings. Advertising of such products also needs to be changed.
Diabetes is brought on by sugar-filled beverages. Sugar content is high in sugary drinks. The body stores excess liquid sugar in the liver instead of processing it regularly, which raises the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Although diabetes is a chronic condition, the government can take action to reduce its prevalence! This can be achieved by placing front-of-package labeling on unhealthy sugary drinks and highly processed foods to warn customers about foods that can cause diabetes.
Front-of-package warning labeling is a game changer for encouraging healthier lifestyle choices. This effective technique provides vital details about the products under consideration to consumers.
It helps users to make well-informed choices by explicitly showing potential health hazards, such as consuming too much sugar. This means you may confidently select items that are in line with your well-being objectives.
Let us advocate for front-of-package warning labels on sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods in Pakistan to reduce the number of diabetics.
Some brain-storming activities were also part of the workshop, which allowed the participants to not only engage but also share thoughts and ideas regarding this issue. All the participants were asked to create a short creative video about the awareness regarding side effects of Ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks. The top five best videos got the acknowledgment and the shields. At the end of the workshop, all participants were given the certificates.
The efforts of PANAH are highly appreciated to create awareness among the masses and also to work along with the public and private sectors to bring positive change.