But the ability to let go is sweeter. Lies are sweet, but the truth is sweeter. Life is sweet, but death is sugar overdose – in the literal sense of the word. Especially in this country. Like a village fool, Mauritius continues to pretend that as long as a company prints the word “healthy” on a processed food item, it is good for us.

A charming little health fair was held at S.V.I.C.C in Pailles over the weekend, as part of our exercise in collective deception. It was an opportunity to do preventive health check-ups, talk to medical professionals and… watch in awe as food distributers tried to convince Mauritians that having cereals so sweetened that they’ve basically a glorified version of cookies is a great idea. Among the smiling supposedly health-conscious commercial angels, there were the representatives of Weetabix. According to Weetabix, it’s super-duper healthy to have chocolate for breakfast. That’s right! Chocolate. For. Breakfast.

According to the company, Weetabix Chocolate is a “thoroughly mouth-watering wholegrain breakfast cereal that your family can feel good about having every day of the week.” How charming! This PR stunt comes from the company whose latest creation – breakfast drinks – comes with a whopping 22 grammes of added sugar. According to the World Health Organisation, having more than 25 grammes of added sugar per day (which a Weetabix breakfast drink consumer inevitably will) is a no-go from a health perspective.

Weetabix is far from the worst kid in the class – some cereal brands give actual candy a good run for its money. But the fact that we, as a country, find it normal that companies tell us, during a health fair, on World Health Day, that chocolate for breakfast is a great idea is more than a little worrying. Have we forgotten that we are one of the countries with the highest prevalence of diabetes in the world?

Why do the authorities allow this wicked circus to continue? Two years ago, the government even organised a joint supposedly health-promoting event with Coca-Cola, allowing the company to sell us the lie that its drink can be healthy in combination with physical activity. The truth is that a single can of coke contains 39 grammes of added sugar (nearly twice the daily recommended quota).

While Mauritius endorses the circus, certain governments overseas actually take their responsibility. A few days ago, the UK introduced a special tax on soft drinks. That was enough to make certain brands, like for instance Fanta, reduce the sugar content in their drinks (although Coca-Cola refused!). France and Norway had already introduced similar solutions. But we are not even asking the Mauritian government to go that far. A decent first step would be to put an end to the hypocrisy. Don’t let companies that produce cookies but call them cereals get away with promoting them at national health fairs. Frankly, there have been enough sweet little lies.

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