Cut sugar and salt content in food

The news that the Malaysian Health Ministry has ordered 35 major food and beverage producers to cut sugar and salt content in their products is a step in the right direction. Nevertheless I wonder whether this is sufficient to wean us out of our present food intake which is high in sugar and salt. The manufacturers including those producing infant formula, cereals and carbonated drinks, have also been told to reduce trans fats content in their products. It seems the move is voluntary for now but they have been given a deadline to comply.

The move to start with infant formula is a good idea since the young will be conditioned to have less sugar, salt and trans fat in their food. When we were growing up, our daily intake knew no boundaries, as evidenced by the many plump babies and overweight children who are indulged by the adults. An overweight baby is not seen as a sign of future obesity but instead complimented on being cute and well fed. It might be an unconscious acknowledgement that the parents can afford to feed their babies with as much food as they want since they have the means. A one-upmanship in a way that puts the baby on a pedestal as if to confirm that the parents belong to the top group in the social pecking order and no longer just living from day to day. The proof would be the ample girth of the baby.

When the child grows bigger with an above average hearty appetite, the parents are unable to stop the requests for extra helpings of the food served. Some children are so used to two or three helpings of food especially those with a high content of salt and sugar that anything less sees them lethargic and grumpy. The lesson has to be taught since young that salt and sugar are important to your diet but it has to be taken in moderation. An active lifestyle is also necessary since cutting down on salt and sugar alone does not help in maintaining the ideal weight.

The adults will face a different challenge trying to make their taste buds used to food with less salt and sugar. It takes sheer will power to change a life long habit if anyone wants to see the beneficial results within a certain period. Taking the plunge alone is such torture and this is when group support from friends and family comes into the picture. The whole family and circle of friends have to rally together in support of those who need that change. There would be painful adjustments when someone does not get his daily dose of teh tarik and nasi lemak but it can be done. Persistence and perseverance would be the key in achieving the goal.

All of us definitely have to make a paradigm shift and begin that journey to a better self by accepting that food with less salt and sugar helps us to remain healthy and avoid the pitfalls of future ailments. We have to get used to the taste of food with less salt and sugar even though at first it might not be to our liking at all. A bitter pill to swallow now but in the long run, the new lifestyle will result in a much healthier person.

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