{
  "id": 14153474,
  "title": "Fed but not nourished: South Africa’s hidden nutrition crisis",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/fed-but-not-nourished-south-africas-hidden-nutrition-crisis",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-13T08:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/the-star/2026-10-13-fed-but-not-nourished-south-africas-hidden-nutrition-crisis/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Africa grapples with both food scarcity and diet-related diseases, despite households struggling to afford diverse, nutritious meals. During National Nutrition Week from October 9 to 15, Statistics South Africa's data reveal that diabetes claims 6.1% of deaths in 2024, up from 5.8% in 2023, and is the leading cause of death among those aged 45-64. Diabetes affects 7.2% of South African adults aged 20-79, while 23% of children under five experience severe food poverty, and 21% of children and adolescents aged 5-19 are overweight.\n\nDietitian Zeenat Simjee notes that financial and practical constraints dictate what families consume, prioritizing affordability and convenience over nutrition. Staple foods provide energy but often lack protein, fiber, and essential micronutrients like iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin A, and folate. Simjee warns that these deficiencies, especially during the first 1,000 days of life, can have lasting impacts on growth and development.\n\nSouth Africa faces a \"triple burden\" of malnutrition, with undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight, obesity, and diet-related diseases coexisting. Dietitian Simjee emphasizes that the issue lies in overall dietary patterns, where energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods replace more healthful options. She stresses that individual foods don't cause these conditions; rather, it's the consistent replacement of nutrient-dense foods with less healthy ones.\n\nThe National Department of Health recognizes that affordable, nutritious, and diverse food access is crucial for health and linked to preventing non-communicable diseases. They identified unhealthy diets as one of five major modifiable risk factors in their National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (2022-2027). Department spokesperson Foster Mohale stresses that addressing food affordability and healthier food choices extends beyond individual choices.\n\nThe upcoming National Dietary Intake Survey 2022 aims to provide updated insights into dietary patterns, nutrient intake, and nutritional status across socioeconomic groups. Dr. Karen Heath of The Noakes Foundation urges that National Nutrition Week should not merely provide a checklist of individual actions. Instead, the focus should be on making nutritious choices more accessible and affordable, helping people trust the information they receive and prioritize chronic disease prevention. The World Nutrition Summit will take place in Cape Town from October 14 to 16, gathering South African and international experts to discuss nutrition research, clinical practice, prevention, and food environments.",
  "summary": "Millions of South Africans face limited access to diverse, nutritious food as diabetes, obesity and other diet-related diseases rise.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}