Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Jun 21, 2025

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.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
×