Poor diet, which can be referred to as malnutrition, is a condition that is either caused by not getting enough nutrients or too much of them.
Although last year and this year have been intensely concerned with managing the pandemic and alleviating its effects, malnutrition, the invisible and silent killer, is still looking for an evidence-based and determined approach in developing countries like India.
A chronic problem like child malnutrition is one of India’s greatest challenges. According to studies, child malnutrition rates in India are still on the list of the world’s most alarming problems. About 15 percent of the country’s total disease burden is caused by malnutrition among children and mothers. There is also a large loss of income, up to 4 percent of GDP and about 8 percent of India’s productivity has been lost due to this problem.
In addition, India’s ranking 120th out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is an additional emergency for the country in terms of poverty and poverty-related malnutrition.
Addressing nutritional challenges is a pressing issue that needs to be placed on the government agenda. While some impressive steps have been taken in this direction in the past few years, more speed is expected in drafting the guidelines, and especially in implementing them, before it is too late.
Health problems that people have due to poor diet
With the “putting people first” agenda, India has launched various programs including POSHAN Abhiyan, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Lunchtime Meals, National Health Mission, etc. Therefore, “Zero Hunger” is one of the most important SDGs to be achieved by the government needs to be more focused on implementation and results, targeting populations at risk of malnutrition, especially women and children. Listed below are the health problems that affect public health from poor diet:
Bad nutritional problems in women and children
Poor diet poses a multitude of threats to women, and therefore to their babies. Not only does it decrease the ability of women to survive childbirth, but it also makes them prone to a variety of diseases. Such malnourished women with reduced productivity lose the ability to generate income and support their families.
Iron deficiency and anemia in women and adolescent girls are some of the life-threatening problems that result from poor diet.
Iodine deficiency, which leads to impaired mental function, goiter, and hypothyroidism, is also one of the serious problems faced by malnourished women and adolescent girls.
In addition, VAD (vitamin A deficiency) remains a significant public health problem for women, leading to stunted growth and impaired vision.
Such problems affect the performance of adolescent girls and women in school and at work.
Bad nutrition for the mother affects not only the mother but also newborns and children. Malnourished infants weigh extremely low and suffer from developmental problems, cognitive impairments and are more susceptible to disease. Such problems also lead to early childhood mortality.
Malnutrition induced dual malnutrition – coexistence of undernourishment and overeating
The prevalence of micronutrient-deficient underweight and over-nourished obese children and adults is one of the greatest global public health problems.
Although the prevalence of obesity is higher in India’s urban non-slum households, rural and urban slums are also slowly moving towards their urban counterparts.
In addition, one of the most serious issues to be addressed in the latest scenario is the prevalence of early non-communicable diseases such as prediabetes in children under 19 years of age. Malnutrition / overeating in early life, which leads to illnesses later in life (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, depression, cancer, eating disorders, etc.) increases the severity of the different food availability.
Inequalities in wealth and residence are just some of the factors that fuel this dual burden. Such factors are also responsible for the different diets of mother and child in the various states of India. The social determinants, which include gender, hygiene, education, etc., are just a few other major drivers of the double monster of malnutrition.
Such issues need to be addressed urgently as they affect the overall productivity of the country.
Suggestions for strengthening the SDG performance “Zero Hunger”
The SDGs are the universal call to action to ensure people can enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030, building the general health of the population should be a priority.
•Empowering women’s education could be one of the revolutionary steps in combating the problems caused by poor diet. Increased awareness of nutritious meals, access to safe drinking water, and improved sanitation can all help to improve the situation significantly.
•Dual interventions against all forms of malnutrition, from stunted growth and being underweight to overeating problems and diet-related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, are needed.
•A switch to nutritious foods like legumes, fruits and vegetables, etc. is required. Allocating part of the food subsidy to nutritious foods other than cereals could have a positive impact on the overall health of the nation.
•An excellent alternative to deriving maximum nutrition from a daily grain-based diet could be organic-grain fortification. The government can take some steps in this direction as it can be a much better, more accessible, yet affordable option.
A results-oriented focus on agriculture, sanitation and women’s education is a compelling approach to minimizing all forms of malnutrition in the country. Although India is making noticeable progress in reducing hidden hunger, we are still far behind us compared to China and other countries.
A nutritious meal is a right for everyone in the country and the administration should see to it that this right is evenly shared among the rich and poor.
