NUTRITIONAL PROBLEMS IN INDIA.pdf
- 2. What is the Cause of Nutritional Problems in India? Typically, nutritional deficiency is considered a problem plaguing the poor, who cannot afford a balanced meal. Thus poverty remains the biggest cause of nutritional problems in India. However, lately, research has shown prevalent malnutrition even in urban, wealthy individuals. The urban rich have enough to eat, but poor food choices have caused nutritional deficiencies among them. The influence of the Western diet has led to people consuming more fats, refined carbohydrates, and sugars that only provide empty calories without any substantial nutrition.
- 3. Primary: This type of deficiency is caused by an imbalanced diet and improper food intake. Taking a nutritious, balanced diet and vitamin supplements eliminates these deficiencies. Secondary: Secondary nutritional deficiencies occur because of some type of underlying medical cause, for example, lactose intolerance, celiac disease, etc. Unless and until the underlying disorder is treated, secondary nutritional deficiencies will linger. Types of Nutritional Deficiencies Nutritional problems in India can be divided into two types:
- 4. The National Nutritional Anaemia Prophylaxis Programme, 1970 Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation Programme, 2013 National Prophylaxis Programme against Nutritional Blindness due to vitamin A deficiency, 1970 The National Goitre Control Programme, 1962 Malnutrition has been a prime concern when it comes to public health in our country. The Government has taken multiple steps to reduce nutritional problems in India. Here are some of the programmes and plans launched: National Nutrition Mission, 2003 National Nutrition Mission, 2003
- 5. Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) PEM is due to insufficient food intake and occurs frequently among children in age. group 1-3 years but more so in the first yeas of life. Eligibility per cent of PEM cases are mild and moderate which remain unrecognised. The most serious form of PEM are Kwashiorkar and marasmus. , Incidence of severe PEM cases is 1 to 8 per cent in pre-school age children. In India the problem of PEM exists in all states. Nutritional marasmus is more frequent than Kwashiorkar. The concept of protein gap has given place to food gap'. PEM is primarily due to an inadequate intake of food both in quantity and quality, and due to infections, notably diarrhoea, respiratory infections, me;~:;les and intestinal worms which increase requirement of calories, proteins and other nutrients, while decreasing their absorption and utilisation. It is a vicious circle - infection contributing to malnutrition and ~malnutrition contributing to infection. It is possible to prevent as well as cure PEM in children through adequate and judicious use of inexperience, locally available cereal pulse based diets.
- 18. The basic approaches to the prevention and control of iron deficiency are: i) supplementation with medicinal iron: Iron-folate is commonly used. Some individuals develop mild gastrointestinal side effects. It is always better to take the tablets along with food and should take for 2 to 3 months. ii) Education and associated measures to increase dietary iron intake: Women must be convinced of the importance of iron for their health and the health of their unborn child; Since Vitamin C enhances iron absorption in . the body, people should take fresh fruits and vegetables along with their regular food e.g. Guava, Lemon, Cabbage, Tomato, etc. A void consuming too much tea which contains tannin that inhibits the absorption of iron in the body. iii) The control of infection: Effective, timely, curative care could diminish the adverse nutritional consequences of viral and bacterial diseases. Hookworm causes chronic blood loss causing anaemia. Giardia reduces iron absorption causing anaemia. Deworming should be done routinely as part of primary health care. iv) The fortification of a staple food with iron: Fortification of widely coqsumed and centrally processed staple food with iron, is done in flour mills and other food processing plants, e.g., wheat flour, corn-meal, bread, infant formulas and weaning foods.
- 19. – You are what you eat