Nutrition experts are raising concern that changing work patterns and increasingly sedentary lifestyles are contributing to a growing nutrition crisis in Uganda.
Health specialists say poor eating habits in workplaces are now being linked to rising cases of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases.
The warning comes ahead of the inaugural Workplace Nutrition Summit organized by Nutrition Garage. Health experts say many employees now consume most of their daily meals while at work, making workplaces an important setting for promoting healthier dietary habits and improving overall health outcomes.
According to Atugonza Moreen Doreen, a nutritionist at Nutrition Garage, modern work environments are increasingly influencing what people eat and how their bodies respond to food."
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A normal person eats two to three meals a day, but many people are now taking most of their meals while at work. This means that what employees eat is largely determined by the workplace environment," Doreen explained.
"If workplaces are well organized, they can become an important platform for promoting healthier eating habits."
Doreen noted that Uganda's traditional diet historically developed around physically demanding activities such as farming and other forms of manual labour that required high energy intake, particularly from carbohydrate-rich foods.
"In the past people walked long distances, farmed and carried out physically demanding work. Their diets contained a lot of carbohydrates because they needed that energy," she said.
"But today many people spend long hours seated behind computers and travel using cars or boda bodas. We cannot continue eating the same way our grandparents did when our level of physical activity has significantly reduced."
She explained that this mismatch between modern lifestyles and traditional eating habits is creating new health challenges, forcing nutrition experts to rethink how diet should be approached in contemporary workplaces.
The Chief Executive Officer of Nutrition Garage, Jenifer Tumukunde, said lack of knowledge about healthy eating remains one of the major drivers of poor nutrition, especially among workers whose jobs involve minimal physical activity.
Tumukunde gave the example of boda boda riders, who often consume high-energy meals without engaging in significant physical activity throughout the day.
"A rider may start the day with porridge, eat a Rolex for lunch and later have a 'kikomando' meal for dinner. All these foods contain a lot of carbohydrates, yet the body may not be using that much energy," she said.
She explained that such eating patterns can quickly lead to weight gain and other health complications."Someone who used to weigh 70 kilograms may reach 90 kilograms within a short time, and people will even congratulate them thinking they are thriving in the city," Tumukunde said.
"But later the same person begins experiencing health problems such as ulcers, obesity and other complications which are early warning signs of non-communicable diseases."
Experts say similar trends are increasingly being observed among corporate employees who spend most of their working hours seated in offices while consuming multiple meals throughout the day.Tumukunde noted that a typical office worker may start the day with tea at home, take breakfast at the office, eat lunch, have evening tea and still go home for dinner, despite engaging in minimal physical activity.
"Many corporate employees drive to work, sit the entire day and even use escalators instead of walking. When the body consumes more energy than it uses, the excess is stored as fat," she said.
According to Tumukunde, this imbalance can eventually lead to lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension, pre-diabetes and even complications related to fertility.
"Many people start wondering where these health problems are coming from, yet the root cause is often poor dietary habits combined with low physical activity," she explained.
Despite these challenges, experts say improving nutrition does not necessarily require spending more money on food but rather understanding what the body needs.
"We are fortunate to live in the tropics where we have abundant fruits, vegetables and both animal and plant proteins. What people need is knowledge to make the right food choices depending on their level of physical activity," Tumukunde said.
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To help address the growing knowledge gap, Nutrition Garage has organized the first Workplace Nutrition Summit under the theme "Rethinking Nutrition in Today's Workplace."
The event will take place on March 26 at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel. and is expected to bring together nutrition experts, employers, policymakers and human resource managers.
According to Tumukunde, the summit will focus on practical strategies that organisations can adopt to improve workplace nutrition, including designing healthier staff meals and introducing workplace wellness programs.
"We want employers and human resource managers to come together and discuss practical solutions. If organizations need guidance on what meals to serve their staff, we are ready to support them," she said.
Health experts warn that Uganda is already facing a silent nutrition crisis, largely driven by poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles.
They say addressing the problem will require greater awareness, improved workplace nutrition programs and increased involvement of professional nutritionists in organizational health initiatives.
