The Youth Gender Action Plan tackles SA's broken food system

Our latest project sees us partnering with the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) to demand immediate action to protect our health and futures from the deceptive practices of Big Food

Big Food companies are under scrutiny for potentially misleading consumers about the healthiness of their products. This issue is particularly urgent for children, who are increasingly suffering from obesity and related health issues. Globally, over 220 million children aged five to 18 are obese, with South Africa seeing one in five children under 13 affected – twice the global average. This raises serious concerns about the influence of Big Food on our diets.

The Global Food Research Program indicates that childhood obesity often continues into adulthood, raising the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In South Africa, children consume an average of 50 grams of sugar daily – more than double the recommended maximum by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Ultra-processed foods, often marketed as healthy, contribute significantly to poor nutrition and long-term health risks.

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Chew on This, a new series by the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA), focuses on how major food corporations are impacting consumers’ rights to nutritious food. Episode 2 features the voices of young people across South Africa, sharing their experiences and challenges with the current food system.

From Limpopo to KwaZulu-Natal, children and teenagers are questioning whether Big Food is feeding them lies. One participant re-counts how his family, after losing everything to xenophobic violence, had no choice but to rely on ultra-processed foods. This situation is common, as nutritious food is often unaffordable and inaccessible.

Independent health journalist, Joan van Dyk, compares Big Food’s tactics to those used by Big Oil and Big Tobacco, such as delaying regulations, shifting blame onto individuals, and casting doubt on scientific evidence. These strategies are amplified on social media, where unhealthy food marketing is pervasive and often disguised as regular content.

Activist and Youth Gender Action Plan Project Lead, Simphiwe Masilo (pictured below in the middle) notes that healthy food is less accessible in poorer areas, a problem worsened by the aggressive marketing of unhealthy products. She calls for proper labelling and transparency in government dealings with the food industry to ensure policies benefit the community, not corporations.

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Enforcing regulations like R3337, which includes front-of-package warning labels and restrictions on marketing to children, is essential. The youth are demanding immediate action to protect their health and futures from the deceptive practices of Big Food.

HEALA invites you to investigate this issue further: Our children's health depends on it.

Watch the first episode of Chew on This right here then visit the HEALA website to view the second episode and follow #chewonthis to be a part of the conversation.