#HEALTHTALK 18: Impact of COVID-19 on people's food choices
The covid-19 pandemic that has crippled the world's economy came without warning.
It brought with it mass lockdown on both local and international institutions around the world.
People desperately sought for different ways to boost their body's immunity against the virus. Many started eating a lot of random things.
News from different health advocates came from all corners. Both the experienced and inexperienced prescribed (and continue to prescribe) diet to people.
A lot of persons now value some of our local spices because they have been told that they can fight the coronavirus and help keep the body's immune system strong.
Also, people now monitor their food intake levels, and those who were overly weighty before the pandemic started changed their food choices and also started exercising more.
In this part of the world (Nigeria), during the first two weeks of the lockdown, there was quite a bit of an unrest as a lot of people thought that the world was coming to an end. So, concerns over food security caused an increase in the prices of foodstuff, even as limited supply set in at the various markets. The France 24 documentary below xrays the level of impact of COVID-19 on food supply around the world.
However, looking through the eyes of the internet and mass media, it was discovered that increase in prices of foodstuff was a global issue because most countries had shutdown their means of production and economic activities were very low. Hunger and hopelessness pervaded the atmosphere and led to increase in crime.
In order to eat well, the rich stocked-up foodstuff while the poor bought the remainder in the market at higher prices.
Many people resorted to eating whatever was available including soaking garri (cassava flakes) in water, reducing the quantity of food to be consumed, and using insufficient quantity of ingredients.
Overall, the nutritional health status of many were changed during the lockdown as a result of a change in food choices and intake levels, either self-imposed or circumstantial.
In the TVC News Nigeria interview below, public affairs analyst, Akerele, gives useful hints on how to avert post-COVID-19 food crises in Nigeria.
In today's #HealthTalk, please share your experiences with us in the comments section below.
Lilian Eze is a Nutritionist-Dietitian and teacher in Lagos, Nigeria. She is also a Lead Content Creator at The Paul Anunaso Blog, and can be reached at lilian.thepaulanunasoblog@gmail.com
This post caught my interest because it changed the narrative of so many events in the country and the world at large. The emergence of this pandemic made alot of people become conscious of their hygiene and the level of food consumption (for the 'low' class citizens). Many jobs were adversely affected and as a matching effect, alot of people we're retrenched. Infact, alot has happened in this pandemic period which has affected the entire world.
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