New Delhi, January 13 (IANS). Health experts believe that people of India need to adopt a balanced diet to deal with the nutrition crisis.
According to the latest report by the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), India is facing a health crisis, with 56.4 per cent of the total diseases attributable to unbalanced diet.
Unhealthy eating habits, including consumption of processed foods rich in salt, sugar and fat, are on the rise due to the easy availability of fast-food chains and packaged snacks.
Dr. Hemalatha R, former Director, ICMR-NIN, said, “India is facing a severe nutrition crisis, with abdominal obesity far exceeding body obesity. More than 50 per cent of the population is obese, suffering from type 2 diabetes and Suffers from diet related diseases including fatty liver etc.”
Hemalatha said this while delivering the keynote address at the 30th Continuing Medical Education (CME) Seminar recently organized by the Physicians Association for Nutrition India (Pan India) in collaboration with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Bengaluru.
Of the total mortality in the country, 66 percent are due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In India, these diseases are encountered at a very young age. What is worrying is that two-thirds of Indians suffering from NCDs fall in the 26-59 age group. The biggest reason for this is unhealthy habits.
ICMR-NIN study has also revealed that 56 percent of diseases are caused by wrong eating habits. This trend poses significant challenges not only to individual health, but also to the economic and social fabric of the country.
Hemlata said, “More than 56 percent of the cases of diseases in the country are due to unhealthy food. It starts with the eating habits of the mothers in whose womb the child is growing. Pregnant women consume processed food and sugar. Due to which the development of the fetus is affected.”
-IANS
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