Editorial
Junk foods put children’s health at risk
The United Nation’s (UN), Child Nutrition Report 2025 indicates that 188 million children now live with obesity globally, a figure that has tripled since 2000.
According to the new report for the first time in recorded history, obesity among school-age children and adolescents has overtaken underweight.
The figures are stark: since 2000, obesity rates have tripled, with 391 million children and adolescents overweight and nearly half of them classified as obese.
This signals a troubling change in global health with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) describing it as a red flag that must not be ignored.
Hitherto, the central concern for children was malnutrition; today, over consumption of junk foods such as pizzas, burgers, fizzy drinks, noodles, etc are emerging as a far greater threat.
Junk foods and fizzy drinks are aggressively marketed across schools, shops and digital platforms thereby displacing the craving for balanced diets.
Childhood obesity is strongly linked to conditions such as type-two diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, among other ailments that were once largely confined to adulthood.
Beyond the human cost, the economic toll is projected to exceed $4 trillion annually by 2035 if urgent steps are not taken.
UNICEF is therefore calling for firm action from government and stakeholders which includes mandatory food labelling, restrictions on advertising to children, and stronger safety nets to ensure families can afford nutritious meals.
These are practical measures that governments can implement. More broadly, there is a need to rethink food environments that currently put profit above children’s health.
It is important to note that underweight has not disappeared, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where malnutrition remains a pressing concern.
But the wider picture now shows obesity as the more dominant challenge across most regions. That dual burden of too little food in some places and too much unhealthy food in others reflects the failures of global food systems.
It is important for parents to include fruits, vegetables and proteins in the meals given to children. This will help support their immune system, prevent disease, and improve their digestive health.
Families alone cannot be expected to fight a tide of advertising, cheap calories and limited access to healthier options.
Governments, industry and communities share responsibility for correcting this course. Regulation, public education and support for affordable alternatives are essential.
Addressing childhood obesity is not simply about diet, it is about safeguarding future generations from preventable diseases and giving them the chance to thrive. The time for action is now.
Dear Editor,
I have witnessed a very dangerous practice by some food vendors who use stones and other heavy objects as weights on leaking gas cylinders.
This is very disturbing. Despite repeated warnings from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), many vendors continue to ignore the risks associated with such practices without considering the danger they pose to people nearby in the event of an explosion.
Many food vendors operate close to fuel filling stations, increasing the possibility of a major disaster if leaking gas ignites during heavy rainfall.
Ghana cannot afford another tragedy like the June 3 disaster, when torrential rains and a massive explosion at the GOIL fuel station near the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange claimed more than 150 lives.
It is unfortunate that some vendors still use unsafe and damaged gas cylinders instead of replacing them. Covering leaking cylinders with stones is not a solution and only exposes lives and property to danger.
On one occasion, I tried to educate a food vendor around my area who had used a stone to cover her gas cylinder on the danger of her action but ended up getting the insult of my life.
I would therefore like to appeal to all relevant stakeholders, especially the GNFS and other security agencies, to intensify public education and enforce safety regulations.
Authorities should ensure that vendors who engage in such dangerous practices stop immediately. Faulty gas cylinders should be seized, and users compelled to replace them with safer ones.
Taking these preventive measures will help protect lives and property and prevent the country from experiencing another avoidable tragedy similar to the June 3 disaster.
Timothy,
Abelenkpe
Dear Sir,
I write to express concerns about the flood situation in the capital anytime it rains.
This is an issue that has been thoroughly discussed at various platforms even before the start of the rains, so one expected that we can see some readiness for the season.
However, the kind of floods we are experiencing now are not ones that authorities must sit unconcerned about; there must be action right away.
Places like Adjirigano, Kaneshie, Alajo, Avenor, parts of Kasoa have all seen flood waters risen to unprecedented levels.
Clearly, we have a big problem at hand. It’s either our drains are choked or have become too small. Something must be done about this to avert a much bigger problem.
Christine Amoh,
Odorkor
