Sweet Poison: How hidden sugars are fueling Ghana’s diabetes crisis and what your doctor isn’t telling you

Diabetes is no longer a condition reserved for the elderly or the wealthy. It is fast becoming one of Ghana’s most widespread health challenges, affecting people across all age groups and social classes from the heart of Accra to the most remote rural communities. The shift has been so gradual that many Ghanaians don’t realise how deeply the disease has taken root.

The Hidden Sugars Sabotaging Your Health

The real threat, according to health experts, is no longer just obvious sugar in sweets and soft drinks — it’s the sugar hidden in foods we often consider harmless or even healthy. Fruit juices labelled “natural,” packaged bread, tomato paste, instant oats, breakfast cereals, yogurts, and canned sauces are just some of the products loaded with added sugars.

According to Dr Abigail A. Agyekum Afoakwa, a pharmacist, health law and ethics specialist, and Principal Regulatory Officer at the Food and Drugs Authority, these hidden sugars are quietly driving Ghana’s diabetes crisis. “These added sugars, especially in processed foods and condiments, contribute to weight gain and insulin resistance,” she explained. “Many people unknowingly consume far more than the recommended daily limit, which is nine teaspoons for men and six for women.”

What Diabetes Actually Is — And Isn’t

Contrary to common belief, diabetes is not directly caused by eating too much sugar. Dr Afoakwa clarified that diabetes refers to a group of conditions in which blood sugar levels are abnormally high due to either the body’s failure to produce enough insulin or its inability to effectively use the insulin it does produce.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines diabetes as a chronic condition that arises when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin, or when the body becomes resistant to insulin. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases echoes this, calling diabetes a condition in which your blood glucose, also known as blood sugar, is too high.

The Different Types of Diabetes

The most common form in Ghana is Type 2 diabetes, typically linked to lifestyle factors like diet, weight, and inactivity. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that often starts in childhood and involves the body attacking insulin-producing cells. Prediabetes is a dangerous warning sign, where blood sugar levels are high but not yet high enough to be classified as diabetes.

There are also several lesser-known forms. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy but can lead to complications later in life. Type 3c diabetes can result from physical damage to the pancreas, while LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults) develops slowly and typically after the age of 30. MODY (Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young) is a rare inherited type, and neonatal diabetes affects infants. The most severe form, brittle diabetes, is characterised by dramatic swings in blood sugar levels and often requires hospitalisation or a pancreas transplant.

The Crisis by the Numbers

In November 2024, the World Health Organisation announced that global diabetes cases had more than quadrupled since 1990, surpassing 800 million adults worldwide. The data, published in The Lancet, was compiled by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC).

“This reflects the increase in obesity, compounded by the impacts of marketing unhealthy food, lack of physical activity, and economic hardship,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “To bring the global diabetes epidemic under control, countries must urgently take action.”

According to the WHO, 14% of adults globally were living with diabetes in 2022 — double the rate in 1990. Alarmingly, over half of those aged 30 and above were not receiving any treatment. In 2021, diabetes directly caused 1.6 million deaths, with nearly half occurring before the age of 70. It was also responsible for over 500,000 kidney-related deaths and around 11% of all cardiovascular deaths.

How Ghana Is Being Hit Hard

Ghana is no exception to the global trend. A study cited by GBC Ghana Online found that 8.8% of Ghanaians had undiagnosed diabetes, and 14.5% were prediabetic. Even more surprisingly, higher rates were found in rural areas than in urban centres. This defies the long-held belief that diabetes is primarily an urban disease.

Urbanisation is a major driver. The shift from traditional diets to processed and packaged foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats has changed how Ghanaians eat. Sedentary lifestyles, made worse by long work hours, screen time, and lack of recreational spaces, have further worsened the problem.

What Hidden Sugars Do to Your Body

Dr Afoakwa explained that these hidden sugars cause chronic blood sugar spikes, leading to pancreatic exhaustion over time. The result is often Type 2 diabetes. “That’s why reading food labels is so important,” she said. “Unfortunately, most food labels in Ghana don’t clearly state how much added sugar is in the product.”

She stressed that excessive consumption of hidden sugars not only contributes to diabetes but also causes other health issues like obesity, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular complications.

Early Warning Signs Ghanaians Should Not Ignore

 One of the greatest dangers of diabetes is how silently it develops. Dr Afoakwa shared several early symptoms that are often overlooked. These include frequent urination even without drinking much water, persistent thirst, and an increased appetite that doesn’t go away after meals. Some people feel exhausted after eating, or find they’re too weak to complete daily tasks they previously managed with ease.

She also warned that sensations like numbness or burning in the feet, recurrent urinary tract or yeast infections, and wounds or bruises that take weeks to heal are red flags. Vision changes where things go in and out of focus during the day can also be signs of high blood sugar levels.

“These symptoms are not normal,” Dr Afoakwa emphasised. “They should prompt you to get screened immediately.”

Why More Young Ghanaians Are Developing Diabetes

More and more teenagers in Ghana are being diagnosed with diabetes, something that was nearly unheard of just a generation ago. Dr Afoakwa attributes this to a combination of rising obesity rates, poor diets, and physical inactivity.

A 2020 study published in Diabetologia found that obesity increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by at least six times. Today, most teenagers spend several hours a day on their phones, computers, or gaming devices far above the recommended screen time. At the same time, only 20% of adolescents worldwide meet the WHO’s recommendation of 60 minutes of daily physical activity.

To make matters worse, more than two-thirds of the calories teenagers consume now come from ultra-processed foods, according to research published in JAMA. These include sweet snacks, fast food, and ready-to-eat meals all of which are high in sugar, fat, and refined grains.

The Myths We Must Leave Behind

There are several dangerous misconceptions about diabetes that continue to mislead the public. Dr Afoakwa addressed these directly. One common myth is that you can’t get diabetes if no one in your family has it. “That’s simply not true,” she said. “While family history increases your risk, lifestyle factors like age, weight, and diet are even more important.”

She also pushed back on the idea that eating sugar directly causes diabetes. “It’s not just about sugar. It’s about excess calories and lack of physical activity. Even if you don’t eat sweets, overeating any kind of food can lead to weight gain and increase your risk.”

Another myth is that people with diabetes need to eat special food. “People with diabetes should eat balanced meals whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and healthy proteins just like everyone else,” she said.

The belief that exercise is unsafe for people with diabetes is also false. “Exercise improves insulin sensitivity and can help lower your blood sugar,” she said. “Walking, strength training, or even dancing can make a big difference.”

Prediabetes, often dismissed as “not serious,” is in fact a major warning sign. “Prediabetes means you’re at very high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years,” Dr Afoakwa explained. “With lifestyle changes, you can lower your blood sugar back to normal levels — but you have to act fast.”

She also clarified that controlling your blood sugar doesn’t mean you can stop treatment. “Some people may be able to manage their diabetes with diet and exercise, but it’s a lifelong condition. You still need regular check-ups.”

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself

Dr Afoakwa recommends that Ghanaians take charge of their health by starting with regular screenings especially if they have a family history of diabetes or are overweight. She encourages people to be physically active at least five days a week, make healthier food choices, and drastically cut back on sugary drinks and processed snacks.

She also advised quitting smoking, as smokers are about 50% more likely to develop diabetes. Getting enough vitamin D through sunlight and managing stress levels are also essential, since both have been linked to insulin resistance and poor metabolic health.

The Role Health Workers Must Play

Finally, Dr Afoakwa emphasised the need for health workers to be more than just prescribers of medicine. “Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists must become champions of education,” she said. “They need to explain not just what diabetes is, but why it’s happening and how patients can take control of their health.”

She believes that when healthcare workers are proactive, informed, and empathetic, they can empower patients to manage diabetes more effectively and prevent complications.

Ghana’s diabetes crisis is real, but it is not irreversible. By recognising the hidden dangers especially the sugars that lie silently in our everyday foods and arming ourselves with the right information, Ghanaians can begin to turn the tide. The sugar may be sweet, but the consequences are anything but.

The writer is a journalist with Channel One TV/Citi FM

Email: [email protected]