Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

In Kazakhstan, eating well can be a daily struggle

In Kazakhstan, eating well can be a daily struggle

A boy and his mother explain why sticking to a healthy diet is hard when temptation is around every corner

Ten-year-old Yerzhan knows that his eating habits are far from perfect. “On a scale of 0 to 10, I’d give myself a 5,” he says.

And he knows what he needs to do better. “[I need] to cut down on milkshakes, burgers and soda,” Yerzhan says.

But as he prepares to tuck into dinner at his favourite food court in Almaty, Kazakhstan, it’s clear that for tonight, at least, that 5 isn’t turning into a 10. On the menu? Two double burgers, a milkshake and a cola.

Yerzhan’s mother, Shakhida, says it’s difficult to get children to eat healthily, especially when they are out.

“When you’re surrounded by people eating burgers or pizza at an event or in a shopping mall you can’t really resist the temptation or keep your child away from it,” Shakhida says. “You end up eating like everyone else.”

It’s a familiar story in Kazakhstan, which is seeing growing rates of obesity among young children. Around one in five children aged 5 to 19 is classified as overweight or obese.

The problem isn’t confined to Kazakhstan. Europe and Central Asia have been experiencing the sharpest rise in obesity among young children in the world, and the region now has the second highest prevalence of overweight children under the age of five.

Shakhida says that food manufacturers aren’t making it any easier for parents.

“Anywhere you look, there’s bright, colourful packaging,” she says. “The potato chips have flavours so strong it drives you crazy the moment you open the bag.”

Amirhossein Yarparvar, UNICEF specialist on nutrition for Europe and Central Asia, says that a better food environment for children isn’t just about the food itself, but improving overall health, education and social protection systems.

“We’re failing families like Yerzhan and Shakhida,” he said, ahead of the release of UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children report. “Governments, businesses, parents and caregivers all have to come together and make healthy options affordable, available and appealing.”


Slowly but surely


Despite the challenges, Shakhida and her family are doing better than before. She says that a couple of years ago she was suffering from what she thought was an allergic reaction. But after numerous tests and visits to the doctors, she was told that it came down to nutrition.

“I realized that I had to rethink my entire lifestyle,” Shakhida says. That has included breaking the connection between going out and eating fast food by cutting down on visits to the shopping malls or movie theatres that inevitably included buying sweet drinks and snacks.


Leading by example


But while Shakhida and Yerzhan both say that home cooked food is healthier than eating out, even that can be a problem in a country that has one of the highest consumption rates of salt in the world. A recent report by the World Health Organization found that popular homemade dishes like kebabs and kurt – a traditional Kazakh dish made of dried fermented milk rolled into balls – had at least half the recommended daily salt allowance in a single serving.

Shakhida says she is taking things one day at a time. But she knows that if she wants to make lifestyle changes stick with her son, she needs to lead by example.

“It’s not like I’ve been telling him not to eat or drink something while I keep eating it myself,” Shakhida says. “We do it together, and he can also see for himself that that I’m becoming more active.”


Achilles heel, in a cup


Yerzhan admits that he’s finding it difficult to give up drinking cola. “I’m trying to only drink soda once a month,” he says. “But at the moment I have some about once a week.”

Yerzhan isn’t alone in struggling to cut back on fizzy drinks. In Europe and Central Asia, more than 60 per cent of school-going adolescents don't consume vegetables on a daily basis, while almost one in three consume sweet soft drinks every day. Compounding the problem in Kazakhstan is the fact that children are exposed to a such a high volume of advertisements for foods that are high in saturated fat, trans-fatty acids, free sugars and salt, especially sweet carbonated drinks and confectionery.

Shakhida says that she tries to provide her son with alternatives, including encouraging him to drink water instead of cola. And when they are watching TV together and want to snack on something, she says she now cuts up some vegetables instead of just reaching for the potato chips.

Yerzhan says he is on board with the changes – up to a point.

“One day we brought carrots to the movie theatre. I think we made history,” he says, laughing. “There was a guy staring at us, I don’t think he could believe his eyes.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×