Download PDFWe must eat healthy food, but not all of us do that – some by choice and others because of our financial situation. We consume a lot of sugar, oil, cold drinks, processed foods, fried food, and too many carbohydrates. Eating too much of these foods and not having a balanced diet can affect our health. We can gain weight and become overweight or obese. Having too much body fat can increase the risk of health problems such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. These sicknesses can become serious and, in some cases, can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.
We also drink too many soft drinks instead of water. According to the World Health Organization’s article on obesity, having too many sugary drinks and foods can contribute to weight gain and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and other health problems, according to experts. We need to drink enough water and make better choices about what we put into our bodies.
Junk food and too little exercise can increase the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
We can swap cold drinks for water. We can eat more fruit and vegetables instead of always eating fried and oily food. We can choose brown or wholegrain bread more often and have smaller portions of red meat. Red meat can still be part of a balanced diet, but it is better not to eat large amounts too often. Chicken can also be cooked without the skin and can be grilled, boiled or air-fried instead of deep-fried.
Oil is not our enemy. Our bodies need some fats, but the amount and type of fat we eat are important. Eating too much fried food and foods high in unhealthy fats can contribute to health problems. Moreover, the highly processed oils may may not be the best for our health.
We also need to keep an eye on the portions of pap we eat. Pap is made from maize meal and is a carbohydrate. It can be part of a healthy meal, but eating very large portions can add a lot of calories to the diet. People with diabetes also need to pay attention to the amount of carbohydrates they eat because carbohydrates can affect blood sugar levels sharply.
Eat pap in smaller portions and add vegetables to your meal. Try to eat foods such as chicken, fish, eggs or beans as part of a balanced meal.
Too much sugar can also contribute to tooth decay and weight gain, in line with the WHO Sugars guideline. Some of the biggest sources of added sugar in our diets are cooldrinks, energy drinks, sweetened juices and other sugary products. We should also be careful with products such as flavoured yoghurt, as some can contain a lot of added sugar.
We must drink more water and can also drink rooibos tea without adding too much sugar. Fruit and nuts can also be part of a healthy diet.
Food is supposed to give us energy, but the way we consume sugar, oil and other foods can affect our health. We must make better choices for ourselves by understanding the dangers of eating too much of the wrong foods.
The problem is not necessarily one particular food. It is the amount and frequency of the foods we eat, as well as whether our overall diet is balanced. We should eat reasonable portions, include vegetables and other nutritious foods, drink more water, and eat less fried and sugary food.
There are many people in South Africa living with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. We need to make better food choices and look after our health. If we drink more water, eat less fried and sugary food, watch our portions and have a more balanced diet, we can take steps towards living healthier lives.
This article is an opinion piece submitted on 21 August 2026. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of Karibu! Online or Khanya College. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.)
