Cameroonians eat to fill their stomachs, calm worms - Nutritionist

A Nutritionist and Dietician in Douala, Samuel Fotso, has observed that most Cameroonians have poor eating habits.

According to him, most Cameroonians eat to fill their stomachs and calm their worms, without taking into consideration the nutritive values and good health which food brings to the body.

He was speaking in Doula recently, on Nutrition and Health, in a workshop organised by Nestlé Cameroon.

The workshop was hinged on the theme Dialogue and the engagement of the media to raise awareness on the challenges in the society linked to nutrition, water and rural development.

The Nutritionist stressed that the human body needs a balance of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, iron and zinc to beable to function properly.

According to him, if one consumes only food that gives carbohydrates and does not eat anything that gives protein, vitamins and the other nutrients, there is a problem, and if such eating habit goes on for along time, the person will suffer from nutritional deficiency and risk contracting Non-Transmissible Diseases, NTDs, like anemia, goiter, among others.

The expert also explained that the body, at each time, needs a limited quantity of protein, carbohydrate and the other nutrients. To Fotso, if too much carbohydrate or protein is consumed, it becomes a problem which may develop into fats, obesity and the person can develop cardiovascular diseases.

The Dietician warned that expensive meals do not necessarily mean good meals. He said in Cameroon, many people erroneously consider expensive meals as good meals.

To him, a good meal must be balanced.The expert strongly advised the population to strive to eat vegetable at least once a day. He also advised that people should also strive to eat more fish than meat, “for fish is more nutritive than meat.” He said excess consumption of meat can cause gout.

Don’t Diabolise Any Food

The Nutritionist also insisted that no food or fruits should be diabolised, for all food and fruits have nutritional values. He said it is irrational for anybody to try to denigrate the food eaten in some areas or by some tribes.

“All foods have nutritional values.” He said the important thing is for people to strive to avoid excess consumption, and also have a balanced meal. The expert also remarked that the problem many people have with meals, is to prepare them properly, using the right ingredients and putting the right quantities.

He said the fortified ‘Maggi’ cube that is produced by Nestlé Cameroon, which is an ingredient for cooking, has rich nutritional values, for it contains iron and iodine that is good for the body. But Fotso stressed that since Maggi contains salt, it is advisable that when it is used in preparing a meal, very little or no salt should be added in the meal.

Talking about the nutritional values of some of the products of Nestlé Cameroon, the Nutritionist said NIDO, for example, contains Vitamin A, Zinc and Iron, while CERELAC, which is for babies contains Iron, Vitamin A, Zinc, plus ‘Probiotic’.

Malnutrition In Children

One of the resource persons at the workshop, a Pediatrician, Dr. Evelyn Mah Mungyeh, presented a paper on the state of new born and neonatal mortality in Cameroon. Backed by a number of studies carried out in Cameroon in recent years, Dr. Mungyeh presented a very pathetic picture of the fate of children born in Cameroon, especially in the Grand North. She stated that children between 0-5 years constitute the most vulnerable group to malnutrition and the highest mortality rate.

The Pediatrician attributed the high infant mortality rate in Cameroon to ignorance, poverty and lack of sensitisation of pregnant and nursing mothers.

She also regretted that there are only 87 pediatricians in Cameroon, “that is why the Cameroon Pediatric Association has, with the support of Nestlé Cameroon, been trying to organise workshops with pregnant women to better sensitise them in a bid to curb child malnutrition and infant mortality. Another problem, she said, is the fact that there are only 61 registered midwives in Cameroon, because Government decided to stop the training of midwives some years back.

Importance Of Breast Milk

The Pediatrician also talked on the importance of breast milk, insisting on the medical advice that mothers should breast-feed their children for six months.

She said breast milk is not only natural, but very rich in nutrients. For breast milk to be very nutritious; she went on; a nursing mother must eat well.

According to her, one of the reasons that some babies suffer from malnutrition even when their mothers’ breast-feed them, is that, since the mothers on their part do not feed well, the quality of the breast milk they produce is low.

Fortification In Cameroon

In a paper presented by Estelle Mahop, from the Sub-Directorate of Nutrition in the Ministry of Public Health, it was stated that Cameroon, in 2011, started the fortification process of some commodities like salt, cooking oil and powder milk, according to international norms set by IISLO.

She said it was discovered that many of the products on the market did not contain the internationally recommended dosages of certain nutrients that are supposed to be in those products. She said a study as well as tests which were carried out in Cameroon by the Government and partners before 2011, had revealed, for example, that there was a link between the number of persons having goiters and the fact that the salt sold in Cameroon had less quantity of iodine that is internationally recommended.