Legislation against unhealthy food stressed

Islamabad : Experts highlighted the need for effective legislation against unhealthy food openly available in market so that a healthy society can be created.

They were addressing a seminar on ‘Health Hazards of Sugar Sweetened Beverages’ organised by Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) on Thursday. Sweet Home Patron Chief Zamrud Khan, Member National Assembly and Member Jmata-e-Islami Marzi Shorah Mulana Abdul Akber Chitrali, General Secretary (PANAH) Sana Allah Ghumman, Colonel (r) Advisor of PANAH Dr. Shahid Ahmed, Cardiologist Dr. Shahbaz Qureshi and representatives of Cardiac Society, High Potential Society, Pakistan Medical Association, Pakistan Family Physician, Diabetic Society, Chest Society, Campaign For Tobacco Free Kids were also present on the occasion.

President PANAH, Major General (r) Masood-ur-Rehman Kayani said that development is not possible without a healthy society. “If we do not make healthy food a part of our lives with a healthy environment, a sick society will be created. Together, we need to enact effective legislation to protect our compatriots from diseases and their causes in a timely manner.”

PANAH President Major General (r) Masood-ur-Rehman Kayani and General Secretary Sanaullah Ghumman said that PANAH has been fighting for the last 36 years to save the people from heart disease and to protect the people from the factors that cause diseases.

According to Cheryl Anderson, author of the University of California, San Diego, people who consume more than one or two sugary drinks on a daily basis have a 42 per cent increased risk of developing heart disease, according to The British Medical Journal (BMJ).

According to a report by Centre for Science in the Public Interest, young people who drink sugary drinks a day are 27 per cent more likely to become obese.

According to Writer Brain Krans, people who use sugary drinks have an increased risk of early death, as well as heart disease, cancer, obesity, stroke, diabetes, digestive health, as well as tremors, according to welfare organizations.

It was suggested to the government that if the tax on sugary drinks is increased, billions of rupees in revenue will be collected which will be helpful in development projects but the proposal was not implemented.

This year, when Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Hamza Shafqat sought feedback from 157,000 followers on his Twitter account on the ban on sugary drinks, 90 per cent of the participants spoke in favour of banning the sale of sugary drinks in educational institutions, which reflects positive thinking.

Diabetes Expert Colonel Dr. Shahid Ahmad while giving a briefing said that the main cause of heart attack is diabetes, which is caused by consumption of sugary drinks and too much sugar. “There are 425 million diabetics, one out of every eleven in the world, while one out of every five in Pakistan. A person has diabetes, one out of every six pregnant women in our country has diabetes. Diabetes is on the rise in Africa. Pakistan is currently the fourth most diabetic country in the world. To avoid diabetes, stay away from sugary drinks, use low-fat cooking oil, make a 30-minute walk a day a routine, get fat, get diabetes medication on time, to avoid any harm.”

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader and Patron in chief Zamrud Khan said that PANAH’s campaigns must be made public through media. He agreed that there should be a law on sugary drinks, He said that for the first time in the history of Sweet Homes Pakistan, he is going to set up a cadet college for orphans.