Fast foods increasing risks of non-communicable diseases – GHS

The Ghana Health Service has identified the consumption of fast foods as a leading factor in the spike of non-communicable diseases (NCD) in the country.

According to the GHS, the changing lifestyles of most Ghanaians have led to new eating habits, as more people develop the habit of eating fast food and also incorporating it into the diets of younger generations.

Speaking at the 47th Annual General & Scientific Meeting by the Ghana Chapter of the West African College of Physicians, Deputy Programme Manager for the Non-Communicable Diseases Control Programme for the GHS, Dr. Afua Commey, indicated that there would be a need to address the issue, as Ghana currently faces an escalation of all NCD risk factors.

“In terms of NCD risk factors, we seem to be determined to gallop way ahead of our neighbouring countries. And we do have an escalation of all NCD factors…The risk factors are everywhere. As Ghanaians, we seem to be embracing more fast foods, probably related to the lifestyle we’re adopting.

“As we embrace these lifestyles, we’re also attaching some form of reward system for our children, in that if they do well in school, we’re promising to take them to these fast food places. Unfortunately, these habits are reflected in our numbers. When you look at the proportion of hypertensive being diagnosed, it’s just about 50% of the estimated number,” she said.

Vice President for the Ghana Chapter of the West African College of Physicians, Dr Sammy Ohene, also tasked individuals to prioritise mental health, noting it tops the list of disorders under non-communicable diseases.

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