South African citizens have been encouraged to make healthier eating and nutritional choices this National Nutrition Week, which runs from the 9th until the 15th of October.

The National Health Department has encouraged this type of “healthy behaviour” to raise awareness about the importance of nutrition, promote better health, and educate individuals and communities about healthy eating.

The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla will on Thursday, 10 October lead the National Nutrition Week commemorative event in Cape Town as part of the department’s efforts to educate people about the importance of nutrition.

National Nutrition Week is commemorated annually around the country during the month of October to raise awareness.

The theme for 2024 campaign is “Eat right for a better life!”

The theme serves as a clarion call for people to prioritise healthy eating, balanced nutrition, and make informed food choices for improved health outcomes.

“Healthy eating does not necessarily mean buying expensive food from big brands retailers but can include home grown vegetables.”

The focus of this year is on young people to teach them about the benefits of adopting health eating to invest in their future health to lower

Growing Concerns of Diabetes in SA

This request by the Department of Health follows growing concerns about a significant rise in deaths caused by non-communicable diseases, with diabetes emerging as a particular point of concern.

Last month, the department highlighted that diabetes was the second leading cause of death in 2020, accounting for 6.6% of all fatalities. The increase in diagnoses, especially among women, has led the department to label this as an “emerging pandemic”.

“When looking at gender-specific causes of death, diabetes mellitus is the leading underlying cause of female deaths at 8.2% which increased from 7.7% in 2018.”

READ MORE: Concerns grow as diabetes cases surge, particularly among women