New Delhi (NVI): The right kind of diet will help in reducing the disease burden in the country, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan said today.
Vardhan highlighted that India, on one side, is suffering from under-nourishment resulting in infirmities such as wasting and stunting and on the other side, there is another critical area of concern to be addressed that is obesity, which is apparently the result of excessive consumption of junk food, wrong choices of food, overeating and lack of exercise.
Speaking while inaugurating the second edition of the ‘Eat Right Mela’ here, Vardhan, a qualified doctor, stressed upon the importance of having a peoples’ movement to encourage people to have healthier diets which will help in reduction of the disease burden in the country.
He said the Eat Right Mela of FSSAI is a commendable effort and outreach activity for citizens to nudge them towards eating right.
“Let the ‘Eat Right Melas’ be part of public gatherings like local melas, community programmes etc., so that the citizens would learn about health and nutrition benefits of different types of food, dietary advice by experts, engage in dialogues and conversations with food visionaries and experts, relish the delicious street food, live demonstration of food recipes and have fun and entertainment,” he said.
“The rise of diet related diseases suggests that people are eating less healthy food than they were eating a decade ago. In this context, the movement of ‘Eat Right India’ started by FSSAI is a timely initiative, ” he added.
At the event the union minister launched ‘The PURPLE Book’ a handbook on diets for diseases.
The book provides general guidelines for hospitals on suitable diets for common medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, gut disorders and so on in a simple format. This book is available for free download on www.fssai.gov.in.
The minister also launched NetSCoFAN (Network for Scientific Co-operation for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition), a network of research & academic institutions working in the area of food & nutrition along with the NetSCoFAN directory, covering detailed information of various heads and Directors and lead scientists of lead and associated partnering institutions.
FSSAI has identified eight Nodal Institutions who would develop a ‘Ready Reckoner’ that will have inventory of all research work, experts and institutions and would carry out and facilitate research, survey and related activities. It would identify research gaps in respective areas and collect, collate and develop database on food safety issues for risk assessment activities.
“The need for identify research gaps in respective areas and collect, collate and develop database on food safety issues for risk assessment activities, will be addressed by NetSCoFAN (Network for Scientific Co-operation for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition)”, Dr Harsh Vardhan added.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan also handed over 3 mobile food testing vans (CNG enabled) to the Commissioner of Food Safety, Government of NCT, Delhi D N Singh during the inaugural ceremony.
