Good food, clean water and laughter

DR. AC OBHOLZER WRITES: Sugar addiction is the number one worldwide. It is the legacy of Afro-American slavery.

The average American adult consumes 36kg of sugar per year in food and drinks. This leads to hungry and thirsty obesity in three hourly recharge cycles.

In the colonial era, the big three: alcohol, tobacco and sugar, were used as bartering tools, for resources. All three are addictive, resulting in unequal value exchange. Women were won over with beads and textiles. Men were given guns to neutralize rival tribes and collaborate in selling the enemy into slavery. Tobacco and alcohol are taxed with excise duty (sintax) and VAT, with health warnings.

But sugar, the main culprit of chronic ill health is exempt! Why? Money? Greed? Mammon.

Sugar abuse/addiction results in slow, cumulative, compound, relentless obesity, and the metabolic syndrome – hypertension, diabetes with target organ damage, through inflammatory capillary shutdown – blindness, stroke, dementia, heart attack/failure, liver and kidney failure, amputations, as well as snoring, acid reflux, aspiration, cancer and two thirds of Covid-19 deaths.

Sugar does not give you go. It grinds your health to a halt.

You rest in pieces (morbidity) before you eventually rest in peace (shortened life span).

The cost of disease is two-fold and devastating:

You become less productive or retire early.

You incur massive recurring medical costs to stay alive.

You are the loser, but this does not have to be!

Identify the enemy (with scientific evidence-based data).

Warn and inform the public and ban perverse, tempting marketing.

The paypoint exit “manga” of temptation at supermarkets and quick shops, filling stations, is a glaring example.

Sugar spiked sodas, chips, cakes, chocolates, sweets, jam, feed the “hunger monster”.

Soft drinks and alcohol abuse result in impotence.

If you cannot see your toes when standing straight with your chin on your chest, you cannot see, or reach Vision 2030.

Your goal should be a belly button abdominal circumference of half your height (power/weight ratio) (BMI) (Body Mass Index) of 25kg/M2).

The MoHSS should encourage healthy eating habits as part of Primary Health Care!

Tax sugar, sugar spiked foods and drinks. Add a warning that abuse damages your health and label the sugar content of foods and drinks.

With the income from “sugar tax” you can exempt good food from VAT. You apply the principle of cross subsidy for the good.

This can be applied to milk, eggs, brown bread, mineral and vitamin enriched unsifted maize meal, apples (Vitamin C), carrots (Vitamin A), Meatma (tripe, soup bones, organs, lard), pilchards (restorative justice) and menstrual pads for school girls.

This will not cost the treasury, as the sugar tax cross subsidy will cover the VAT exemptions. Encourage home gardens, orange trees, tyres filled with compost for tomatoes, carrots, pumpkins, spinach (provide seeds and counselling).

Start nutritional advice with mothers in the ANC (AnteNatal Clinic).

Discourage, or ban fast/junk food promotions at school tuck shops and sports events.

Good, unprocessed food, clean cool water and laughter is the best value-for-money medicine. The dividends are health and votes by a grateful public – a win/win scenario.

Health and justice delayed, is both denied.