Dietitian Urges Greater Public Awareness of Food Labels to Reduce Rising NCDs
By: Solomon Nartey Tetteh
Registered Dietitian Sarah Salomey Okine has underscored the importance of food label literacy in combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs), stressing that more Ghanaians must be equipped to understand what they consume.
Speaking on the Business Breakfast show on Zed 101.9FM, Ms. Okine explained that individuals who pay attention to nutrition education are already seeing improvements in their health.
“People who listen to what we teach now understand the 5–20% Daily Value rule. Many used to ignore food labels, but today some are checking them and successfully reducing their hypertension, cholesterol, and other conditions,” she said.
She noted that discussions on misleading health claims such as “no added sugars” have helped individuals make better choices, ultimately reducing their risk of NCDs.
However, she warned that a large section of Ghanaians, particularly guardians and caregivers, still lack basic knowledge of food labels.
The dietitian recalled working with a client undergoing weight management who also had several underlying conditions.
“After my client learned how to read labels, she could confidently compare products and choose the better option,” she explained.
Ms. Okine stressed that while those who are informed are benefiting, widespread ignorance continues to drive up cases of NCDs such as hypertension and high cholesterol.
“Too much of everything is bad. People are developing these conditions earlier than before sometimes within ten years because of habits like overconsuming energy drinks,” she cautioned.
She called for intensified public education to ensure that more Ghanaians understand food labels and make healthier choices to curb the growing prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases.
