HYDERABAD: An interaction between policy intellectuals on health and nutrition was held in the city where the rise in cases of malnutrition amongst urban children was discussed. At the discussion, the findings of a recent study called ‘Urban India is Overfed yet Malnourished’ were discussed.
One of the crucial points was that breastfeeding patterns have greatly changed. “In economically thriving cities, rich people are choosing wrong food items and moving away from traditional foods to exotic and junk food. Meanwhile, in the slums, breastfeeding has dramatically come down because women in slums think it’s not fashionable to breastfeed or worse still ‘silly’, as milk powder is just a hop, skip, and, jump away in the neighbourhood medical store,” observed Karuna Gopal, president, Foundation for Futuristic Cities and national in-charge for Policy & Research, BJP Women Wing.
Similarly, during adolescence, the issues acquired in childhood continue, noted Dr Kavita Waghray, Professor and Dean, Department of Food Technology, University College of Technology - Osmania University. “Emphasis should be laid on providing proper nutrition to adolescent girls as 40 per cent to 98 per cent of girls are anaemic. Girls in urban areas, who have access to good food, aren’t ready to consume it because of various reasons. Skipping meals is commonly observed in such cases as girls aren’t aware of the outcome of this practice.”
Only one in 9 gets healthy food
The panel stressed on the need for effective communication to change the trend. Although India is an agricultural economy, healthy food is accessible to only one in nine persons