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Preventing the next health crisis
News:
- K Srinath Reddy, President of Public Health Foundation of India expresses his views to tackle obesity in India.
Important facts:
- After wasting (a low weight-for-height ratio), India’s biggest nutrition challenge is obesity (excess body fat).
- India has the second highest number of obese children in the world (14.4 million).
- Consumption of junk food and less physical activity are the main reasons of obesity.
- Adverse affects of obesity:
- High risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and some cancers,
- Fatty liver disease in children and
- Premature mortality.
- Measures to be taken:
- Ensure appropriate nutrition (the right balance of nutrients)for obesity along with adequate nutrition (usually interpreted as dietary calories) for undernutrition,
- Policies on agricultural system that promotes crop diversity,
- Decrease the availability, affordability and promotion of unhealthy foods,
- Make healthy foods more accessible,
- Provision of obesity management, prevention and treatment,
- Tax on sugar and its related commodities.
- Cycle of poverty leading to NCDs (Non Communicable Diseases) and visa versa should be addressed,
- Obesity and under nutrition should be jointly addressed under universal health coverage, and
- Universal health coverage should be financially accessible by all.
