Weight – Over and Under<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nOur children have not been spared either. We now have a double burden of malnutrition \u2013 where high numbers of undernourished children co-exist with increasing numbers of overweight children.<\/span><\/p>\nMy parents\u2019 generation grew up in times of food insecurity. Food was not nearly as plentiful or as readily available as it is now. Convenience foods were largely unheard of. Almost everything they ate came from the farm, with the exception of staples such as flour, sugar, rice and cooking fat.<\/span><\/p>\nAs our food environment changed, so did our waistlines. We have never been fatter or sicker.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nAs their fortunes changed, so did their bodies. Many moved to and settled in the cities. More money meant more choices. Protruding bellies and rounded cheeks were a symbol of prosperity. Apart from being taught that too much sugar would rot my teeth, there was never any other connection made between food and health \u2013 or disease for that matter.<\/span><\/p>\nNo one contests the negative influence of cigarette smoking or excessive alcohol on health. However, the issue of what constitutes a healthy diet remains highly disputed. Many Kenyans believe that eating fatty meat contributes to disease. Many more assume fruit intake, and lots of it, is a healthy practice, even for diabetics. <\/span><\/p>\n