People & Their Problems
New Delhi, 1 May, 2017
Healthy
Nation
LOW COST
NUTRITION VITAL
By Dr
Oishee Mukherjee
It is a well-known fact that
malnutrition and under nutrition is a big problem in the country and this need
to be tackled effectively. As per the Global Hunger Index, 15.2 per cent of the
population that is, around 215 million Indians, have been found to be
malnourished in the country though unofficial figures are more.
The National Institute of Nutrition
(NIN) pegs the average Indian adult ideal protein-fat-carbohydrate (PFC) ratio
at 20 per cent, 30 per cent and 60 per cent. According to a recent survey
conducted in eight metros, the protein intake is low, whereas the fat intake is
highest in the country’s capital, Delhi
that thrives on parantha, milk/butter
and samosa and related oil rich
diets. Not just Delhi but in most other places of north India, such food habits
affect heart-related diseases and hypertension, apart from resulting in
obesity.
Other cities such as Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore
consume more carbohydrate through their diet of rice, idli and dosa makes them
susceptible to diabetes. Insofar as Kolkata is concerned, the intake of fish,
lentils and other types of high protein intake “put people at lower risk for
conditions like diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke, obesity etc.”
The survey rightly pointed out that
the lack of balanced diet has been leading to micronutrient deficiencies such
as Vitamin D, iron and folic acid. These problems, as usual, mostly occur among
the impoverished people who cannot afford a proper meal. It also reiterated the
well-known contention that high consumption of fast food is another aspect of
the problem, affecting mostly the rich and the middle income sections.
In fact, the continuous intake of
junk food leads to hepatitis A, B, C and even cirrhosis of liver. According to
unofficial figures, over 30 per cent of the city’s male population has been
suffering from non-alcoholic liver disease, while the figure may be half in the
case of women. Controlled lifestyle and consumption of more vegetables while
leaving out oil-based foods, chocolates, cold drinks etc, it must be remembered
can do wonders.
The survey further revealed the
question of burning of calories, which is indeed an important problem for
people residing in big cities. It found Kolkata burns a minimum of 209 kCal a
day followed by Bangalore 232 kCal, Delhi 229 kCal and Mumbai
kCal. Recent studies have shown that people residing in cities do less physical
work compared with those in rural areas and this is the reason for lesser
burning of calories.
While the spectre of the problem has
been partly covered by the survey, in big cities the situation is completely
different from that in the rural areas. In villages, under nutrition and
malnutrition has been plaguing a major section of the population, some of which
can be tackled by undertaking a proper awareness campaign. It has been found
that even the economically weaker sections can afford a balanced diet at low
cost which would be reasonably healthy.
The campaign has to reach the lowest
tiers of the village for which the National Institute of Nutrition has a vital
role to play. There is indeed a need to involve the civil society in spreading
this awareness and also to ensure that the food given by the Government’s in
Central welfare schemes – such as Mid Day Meal Scheme – should have the proper
balance, as recommended by NIN. It, however, remains to be said that
strengthening this organisation and having more offices all over the country is
essential at this juncture.
The whole issue of healthy food has
to be considered seriously and both Central and State governments have to join
hands in this regard. If targets are set for electrifying all villages or
proving affordable housing to all, then there should also be an action plan to
bring down under nutrition and malnutrition as this would have an effect on
curbing the growing incidence of diseases, obviously affecting the economically
weaker sections.
Indeed, eating healthy food is being
emphasised repeatedly by doctors and nutritionists but much of such advice by
and large goes unheeded. Though, however, it also needs to be pointed out that
certain sections of the population are becoming increasingly conscious of the
need to eat such food that could keep them healthy and disease-free.
As is generally known, vegetables
and fruits are beneficial to the growth of the body. Even the opposite sex are
motivated to eat fruits – at least those who can afford it – to keep the skin
glowing and for normal hair growth. Steadily the awareness about the need for
taking nutritious food is being realised by the people.
The question of nutritious food
reaching the poor and economically weaker sections is the biggest challenge for
the country as this section does not have the resources to get proper treatment
due to inadequate protein diet. It is for this section of people that low-cost
and easily available vegetables and pulses need to be made available to them
for better nutrition.
One may mention here of an
observation made by a renowned doctor, wherein he said that if only one takes
adequate quantity of rice or wheat, pulses and vegetables, then no food drink
such as Horlicks or Complan is necessary for children/individuals
growth. The vigorous advertising campaigns of these products, entailing
crores of rupees, even compels poor people when ill to buy these food drinks
which are absolutely not necessary. Even doctors who are influenced by
pharmaceutical companies prescribe these drinks.
The situation is best exclaimed by
Father Augustine, Registrar of Xavier University, Bhubaneswar who, at a recent
seminar, aptly stated that while the urban rich and middle class consume
enough/more food – both nutritious and fast food -- and have to take recourse
to various methods to digest it, including walking, exercising etc., the major
section of our population are deprived of essential food for their survival and
have to walk miles to procure this food.
There is serious concern about the
need for proper and low-cost nutrition, which can be tackled if only the
Panchayat and block officials are properly trained in this regard. The State
governments have to play a crucial role, in association with institutions like
NIN, for only then can poor and not-so-well educated people become conscious in
the matter. The health of a nation is best judged by the health of its
people. ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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