In an effort to promote healthy eating, Woolworths has announced that it will support World Diabetes Day, on 14 November.

Woolworths has set up a month of activities aimed at raising awareness of this disease and the important role nutrition plays in helping to control it. The retailer has joined forces with Diabetes South Africa in an effort to address the growing need for diabetes education and prevention programmes.

“The International Diabetes Foundation estimates that there are currently nearly 850 000 South Africans with diabetes and that number is expected to grow. In fact it’s estimated that one in five people over the age of 35 has type 2 diabetes, and many of them don’t even know it. There are also still a lot of misconceptions about the role of nutrition in diabetes. We’d like to help dispel some of these myths by helping our customers learn more about it,” explains Zyda Rylands, Managing Director of Foods at Woolworths.



She continues, “The main reason Woolworths embarked on what we call our ‘Good Food Journey’ over a decade ago is because we care about our customers’ health. It’s why, for example, we’ve reduced both sugar and salt in many of our foods, eliminated HVOs, and more. We receive a lot of enquiries from diabetics about what Woolies foods they should or shouldn’t eat, and as part of our on-going efforts to help our customers understand the importance of good nutrition in diabetes, World Diabetes Day provides an ideal opportunity for us to really focus our attention on diabetes education.”



Throughout November, Woolworths will be assisting diabetic customers in making better food choices through various activities including dietician-led shopping tours and product displays in selected stores as well as by providing online information and assistance via the ‘ask the dietician’ link on www.woolworths.co.za.



Among the myths that Woolworths plans to address are that diabetics should eat special diabetic food, that diabetics can’t eat any sugar or sugar foods, that there are certain fruits diabetics shouldn’t eat, and that eating too much sugar causes diabetes. Despite the fact that these are widely believed, none of these statements is actually true, and, in fact, according to Woolworths dietician, Maryke van Zyl, there are few foods diabetics should avoid entirely. The key to nutrition for diabetics, she says, is to eat a wide variety of foods and focus on balanced meals.



“I deal with customer enquiries from diabetics virtually every week,” says van Zyl. Most of them are either asking for help in choosing products suitable for diabetics, or asking why Woolworths doesn’t sell specific ‘diabetic’ foods. I explain that it’s important to remember that people with diabetes don’t have to follow a special diabetic diet. People with diabetes can eat the same foods the family enjoys, as long as they are good choices. The dietary guidelines for people with diabetes are very similar to those recommended for everyone else – eating less sugar and fat, more fibre-rich starchy foods, and more fruits and vegetables, with moderate amounts of lean meat and fish, as well as low fat milk and dairy products. There is no one perfect food, so including a variety of different foods and watching portion sizes are key to a healthy diet.”

Van Zyl has compiled a list of 10 simple guidelines to help diabetics and their families choose foods wisely (see annexure 1).

She adds, “I’m also always happy to provide a list of Woolworths foods that are suitable for diabetics. What surprises most people is how long that list is!” She does add a caveat: “The fact is, we’re all unique individuals, so there is no one eating plan that’s suitable to all diabetics. It’s important for diabetics to consult a registered dietician with a special interest in diabetic nutritional care to assist in balancing food intake with the use of insulin and oral medications.”

During November there will be informative product displays in more than 50 Woolworths stores around the country as well as dietician-led tours at Woolworths Eastgate, Menlyn and Sandton in Gauteng, at Woolworths Tygervalley and Cavendish in the Western Cape, and at Woolworths The Pavilion in Westville, KwaZulu-Natal during the week of the 8th - 12th of November. Space on these tours is limited so be sure to book on www.woolworths.co.za through the ‘Ask the Expert’ link.

For more information about healthy eating for diabetics and to contact Maryke for advice, visit the Woolworths web site.