Here in Southeast Asia, diet-induced health issues have been on the rise. A report by the World Health Organisation showed that the growing income levels in Asia have caused a divergence away from traditional starch-based diets and towards food with high levels of salt, fat, protein and sugar, with much of it being processed foods.
This has resulted in a plethora of health issues - a study by Bloomberg estimates that Southeast Asia is responsible for about 20% of all diabetics globally, and has seen the world’s largest increases in premature deaths related to cardiovascular disease over the past two decades. National healthcare spending for obesity-related issues has also reached as much as 19% in some parts of Southeast Asia.
Do the current solutions target the issue of healthy food, or does it just help improve food security? What are the challenges that FoodTech startups face when trying to implement solutions? And what other ways can we address this growing problem in Southeast Asia?
To answer these questions, I speak to Dr Sherman Ho, Chief Scientist and Cofounder of Hoow Foods, a food-technology company that aims to research and develop healthier yet tasty foods to the world, for his expert insights.
Here in Southeast Asia, diet-induced health issues have been on the rise. A report by the World Health Organisation showed that the growing income levels in Asia have caused a divergence away from traditional starch-based diets and towards food with high levels of salt, fat, protein and sugar, with much of it being processed foods.
This has resulted in a plethora of health issues - a study by Bloomberg estimates that Southeast Asia is responsible for about 20% of all diabetics globally, and has seen the world’s largest increases in premature deaths related to cardiovascular disease over the past two decades. National healthcare spending for obesity-related issues has also reached as much as 19% in some parts of Southeast Asia.
Do the current solutions target the issue of healthy food, or does it just help improve food security? What are the challenges that FoodTech startups face when trying to implement solutions? And what other ways can we address this growing problem in Southeast Asia?
To answer these questions, I speak to Dr Sherman Ho, Chief Scientist and Cofounder of Hoow Foods, a food-technology company that aims to research and develop healthier yet tasty foods to the world, for his expert insights.