Media for Healthy Diets and the Law: Advocating for Regulatory Measures to Combat Diet-Related Diseases

Kampala— The Centre for Food and Adequate Living Rights (CEFROHT), with support from the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), is implementing a project to promote healthy diets through legal empowerment and social accountability mechanisms. Using a human rights-based, participatory, and multi-sectoral approach, the initiative seeks to foster an enabling environment for regulatory and fiscal measures that encourage healthier eating habits.

The Growing Burden of Diet-Related Diseases

Globally, overweight conditions and associated diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) contribute to an estimated 4 million deaths annually. Unhealthy lifestyle choices, particularly diets high in fats, sugar, and salt, play a significant role in this crisis. According to the World Health Organization’s NCD Uganda Country Profile (2018), NCDs account for 33% of all deaths in Uganda.

The food industry, a major producer of unhealthy products, heavily targets children through three key markets:

1. The primary market – children as direct consumers.
2. The parental market – children influencing family purchases (“pester power” or “kid-fluence”).
3. The future market – childhood consumption habits persisting into adulthood.

Despite these risks, awareness remains low among government bodies, non-state actors, and the general public regarding how poor diets contribute to premature deaths. The food and beverage industry operates with minimal restrictions, allowing aggressive marketing of unhealthy products. The World Health Organization (2006) warns that advertisements often promote foods high in fats, sugar, and salt—products that should be consumed sparingly as part of a balanced diet.