Poor diet leads to hundreds of deaths in India every year: Lancet study

The study estimates that one in five deaths globally — equivalent to 11 million deaths — are associated with poor diet.

Poor diet leads to hundreds of deaths in India annually, according to a Lancet study which found that globally one in five people die due to the lack of optimal amounts of food and nutrients on their plates. The report, which tracked trends in consumption of 15 dietary factors from 1990 to 2017 in 195 countries, showed that almost every region of the world could benefit from rebalancing their diets.

The study estimates that one in five deaths globally — equivalent to 11 million deaths — are associated with poor diet, and diet contributes to a range of chronic diseases in people around the world. In 2017, more deaths were caused by diets with too low amounts of foods such as whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds than by diets with high levels of foods like trans fats, sugary drinks, and high levels of red and processed meats.

Low intake of whole grains — below 125 grammes per day — was the leading dietary risk factor for death and disease in India, the US, Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria, Russia, Egypt, Germany, Iran, and Turkey. In Bangladesh, low intake of fruits — below 250 grammes per day — was the leading dietary risk.

In 2017, the countries with the lowest rates of diet-related deaths were Israel, France, Spain, Japan, and Andorra. India ranked 118th with 310 deaths per 100,000 people. The UK ranked 23rd (127 deaths per 100,000), and the US ranked 43rd (171 deaths per 100,000) after Rwanda and Nigeria (41st and 42nd)…

Health Tips : Kitchen is the best hospital, food the best medicine

“Finding a cure is always less lucrative than finding a treatment.” As science and technology grow at an exponential pace, it is pretty obvious that drugs and treatments will remain heavily incentivised.

BS | It is an unfortunate reality that our pharmaceutical companies have been prioritising expensive drugs over cure. At a time when medical expenditure is becoming a major worry and is found to have a significant influence on social security costs, it will be worthwhile to reconsider our approach towards what we “eat”. Instead of paying attention to our diet when we are sick, let’s analyse the power of foods and their impact on our health.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) or lifestyle diseases have been rising at an alarming pace across the globe. Cardiovascular diseases like stroke, heart diseases, respiratory disorders and diabetes account for 80 per cent of these NCDs. Till a few years back, these lifestyle disorders more prevalent in the aging population and affluent societies. However, in low and middle income countries like India, where malnutrition is still not a completely solved problem, there has been a sharp increase in lifestyle disorders. The increase of these disorders among the younger population adds to the complexity.

An unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and excessive consumption of alcohol and tobacco have been observed to be the major contributing factors for most of these diseases. The good news is that 80 per cent of these NCDs can be prevented with slight modifications in lifestyles. There is evidence that adapting healthy dietary changes, physical activity and abstaining from alcohol and tobacco can help achieve the desired results.

Diet plays a major role in adapting a positive lifestyle. A person who is conscious about what goes in his diet could have a better control on overall quality of life. It is important to understand the value of our everyday diet in order to take the best decisions for our own well-being. You are what you eat.

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Horlicks harmful? Experts urge Amitabh Bachchan to snap ties with the brand

'100 gram of a popularly advertised pack of Horlicks Delight, contains 78 gram of carbohydrates of which 32 grams is sucrose sugar,' experts

A group of public health experts have urged superstar Amitabh Bachchan to dissociate himself from promoting Horlicks, a multinational brand that has extended support to the Centre's recently launched National Nutrition Mission aimed at addressing the issue of undernutrition in the country.

The experts under the banner of the Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest - India (NAPi) in a letter to the actor said, "Horlicks is a high sugar product, as 100 gram of a popularly advertised pack of Horlicks Delight, contains 78 gram of carbohydrates of which 32 grams is sucrose sugar".

"This is harmful to children as it may contribute to childhood obesity and non-communicable disease in later life," the experts said.

They said the WHO recommends a reduced daily intake of free sugars throughout the life course to less than 10 per cent of total energy intake.

Furthermore, in the interest of good health WHO suggests the intake of free sugars to below 5 per cent of total energy intake, the letter stated.

The letter mentioned that in 2016, the World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted a Resolution 69.9 that recommends ending inappropriate promotion of foods for children from ages 6-36 months based on WHO and FAO dietary guidelines.

"Going by this recommendation promotion of Horlicks falls in the category of inappropriate as they use false health claims in TV commercials," they said, adding that it dents Bachchan's image as a socially responsible celebrity.

"I fear that this campaign may have serious adverse repercussions: Horlicks is expensive and is likely to drain pockets of marginalized families under the misbelief that Horlicks is a good nutritious product for children as it is endorsed by Mr Bachchan. Thus Horlicks may displace healthy real family home foods and this way contravenes tackling the problem of undernutrition among children," said Dr Arti Maria, Head of Neonatology Department, RML hospital here.