Hyderabad: A large number of children in urban India are suffering from both malnourishment and over-nourishment as they mostly consume only one type of food, which is also high in fat and sugars. This was revealed ahead of National Nutrition Week, observed from September 1 to 5.
KIMS’ chief dietician, M. Radhika, said, “We are finding that a lot of children have only one type of cereal and there is very little focus on balanced diets.
There is also a lack of variety of foods in the diet. In school canteens, we have found that calorie dense foods are served which make the children obese.
There is also minimal consumption of green leafy vegetables and fruits. Due to this reason, we find that one type of food is consumed more than required and the healthy balance is tilted due to which there are rising cases of obesity in school-going children.”
NIN deputy director Dr Raghunath Rao, said, “Healthy eating means those foods which will give the required nutrients, fiber, proteins, vitamins and minerals to the body. All that chicken can give is protein but for other requirements, whole grains, cereals, leafy vegetables and fruits have to be consumed.” The aim is to empower children so that they can make the right choices.
But this is not a problem seen only among children, even among healthy adults, snack times are rising. Yashoda Hospitals, chief dietician Dr Sunitha Premlatha, said, “Many are getting into the habit of eating at very short intervals. They are binging on junk foods like pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and also opting for soft drinks to digest these foods. They feel full but it is not completely nutritious as these foods are high in protein and carbohydrates but less on fiber.”
