Diet and nutrition: how well Tanzanians eat depends largely on where they live

• Across the continent the urban share of the total population is projected to increase to 50% by 2030 and 60% by 2050.
• Urbanisation is associated with lifestyle changes such as less physical activity and less labour-intensive work.
• This is often accompanied by an increased intake of high-calorie fast foods, snacks, and sugar-sweetened beverages.

Food diaries

• Using data from food diaries recorded by 1,506 households over a two-week period, I calculated how many calories, macronutrients and micronutrients were consumed and compared them to the recommended requirements for a healthy life.
• Besides food diaries, our data also included information on household characteristics and their socioeconomic status.

Homegrown or highly processed?

• This was because they were not eating sufficient quantities of food.
• Most food was home-grown, which provided beneficial nutrients, but diets were not diverse enough to provide all the nutrients needed for healthy living.
• At the opposite end of the scale, residents of Dar es Salaam also ate unhealthy diets, but for very different reasons.

Calories, nutrients or a lack thereof

• Rural households primarily consumed starches, cereals, vegetables and fruit, making up 29%, 21%, 12% and 7% of their diet respectively.
• Plantains, maize, cassava, sweet potatoes and spinach were the most consumed food items in rural areas.
• Many of these nutrients are found in animal foods, which made up a small share of rural diets.
• In terms of quantity, these households tended to consume more, leading to lower levels of nutritional deficiencies than in rural areas.
• About 26% of households did not meet the recommended calorie intake, but this was significantly better than in rural areas.

Next steps

• At the same time, overconsumption of potentially harmful food substances such as fats and sugars can lead to health risks such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• The findings highlight the need for a varied approach to dealing with nutrient intake and tackling problems such as rising obesity rates.

Hannah Ameye does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.