Urban dwellers don't farm but rely on markets where fresh produce costs an arm and a leg.Rapid urbanization in Kenya is fuelling malnutrition as people spend a large portion of their income on cheap, ultra-processed foods.
1). Urban dwellers don’t farm but rely on markets where fresh produce costs an arm and a leg.
2). People are often restricted to cheap, energy-dense but nutrient-poor ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages
3). Poor housing, lack of potable water and inadequate sanitation infrastructure lead to infections
People are often restricted to cheap, energy-dense but nutrient-poor ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages4). Frequent illnesses prevent children from absorbing nutrients, leading to chronic undernutrition and stunted growth
5). That mothers often work long hours to survive often disrupts proper child-feeding practices, forcing families to rely on inadequate complementary foods
6). Surveys show that 26% of children aged 6–23 months in urban Kenya receive a lower than acceptable diet compared to 40% in rural areas
7). Some 26% to 50% of urban children under the age of five months are affected by chronic undernutrition
8. Consuming high-calorie, low-nutrient foods leads to soaring overweight and obesity rates, particularly among women
9). About 40% of women of reproductive age in urban areas are classified as overweight or obese.
10). Being overweight or obese leads severe noncommunicable diseases, reduces life expectancy and quality of life and carries physical and psychological consequences.