Fact Check- Is sugar-sweetened beverage consumption linked to 29% of Nigeria’s non-communicable disease deaths?

Ruth Orji
Claim- Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is linked to 29% of Nigeria’s non-communicable disease deaths?
A few months ago, @NewsCentral made a post claiming that sugar-sweetened beverages, when consumed in excess leads to death and can account for 29% of Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) deaths in Nigeria yearly. The reason for this post was to request that the government should tax these beverage manufacturers.

This post has since gathered 135,000 views; 37 likes; 17 comments; 53 shares.
NatureNews, Africa’s foremost newspaper on climate change, which is dedicated to providing accurate insights to stop the spread of fake news particularly among users of social media, subjected the claim to fact checking.
Findings: Using the Google search tool in conducting this research, NatureFact, the fact checking unit of NatureNews, accessed a few papers and studies.
A thorough fact-checking investigation has revealed that this assertion is actually true.
Here are a few pages corroborating to this.
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMrEm75T8/



Excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is a significant contributor to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Nigeria.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), consuming SSBs is linked to various health problems, including:
1. Obesity
2. Type 2 diabetes
3. Heart disease
4. Stroke
5. Cancer
In Nigeria, NCDs account for approximately 29% of total deaths, with a significant portion attributed to SSB consumption.
A study published in the Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology found that:
– High SSB consumption increased the risk of obesity by 27% among Nigerian adults.
– SSB consumption was significantly associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (31%) and hypertension (25%) in Nigerian adults.
Another study published in the Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice found that:
– SSB consumption was a significant predictor of cardiovascular disease risk factors among Nigerian adults.
While the exact percentage of NCD deaths attributed to SSB consumption in Nigeria may vary, it is clear that excessive SSB consumption is a significant contributor to NCDs in the country.
Reducing SSB consumption is crucial to mitigate the burden of NCDs in Nigeria. This can be achieved through:
– Public awareness campaigns
– Sugar taxation policies
– Promoting healthy beverage options
– Encouraging responsible marketing practices
Verdict – True. SBBs account for 29% of NCDs deaths in Nigeria.