The nutritional composition of snack foods available at grocery stores in the Western Cape, South Africa: A cross-sectional observational study

Abstract

Snacking has become a popular dietary practice and the increasing frequency of consumption correlates positively with total energy intake. This is a public health concern as it contributes to obesity and NCDs. Obesity rates are as high as 28.3% in South Africa, with 31% of men and 68% of women either overweight or obese. The aim of this study was to describe the nutritional composition and variety of snack items available in supermarkets, and describe the in-store snack placement and marketing.