Proper nutrition to prevent lifestyle diseases
Proper nutrition is essential for maintaining physical and mental health, supporting personal development, and ensuring overall well-being. Despite high living standards and food availability, a lack of awareness about proper nutrition contributes to overnutrition, leading to obesity and various lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, liver disease, kidney disease, and digestive disorders.
Recent statistics highlight a sharp rise in diabetes cases in India, making it the second-most affected country globally. Additionally, deficiencies in essential nutrients like iron, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, and iodine contribute to widespread health issues, including anemia, osteoporosis, and thyroid disorders. Micronutrient deficiencies are particularly prevalent among women, children, and over half of children under the age of five worldwide.
Malnutrition not only affects individual health but also hinders productivity and education in affected countries. Maintaining a balanced diet plays a crucial role in managing body weight, preventing both obesity and undernutrition, reducing the risk of lifestyle and infectious diseases, strengthening immunity, and aiding in recovery from illnesses.
What is a Balanced Diet?
A balanced diet consists of a variety of essential nutrients and non-nutritional elements in the right amounts and proportions to support all bodily functions, including physical growth, mental development, immune function, and overall well-being.
Consuming a balanced diet ensures the intake of necessary energy, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and water, promoting nutritional diversity. Since no single food can provide all the essential nutrients required by the body, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommends incorporating foods from all major food groups into daily meals, consumed three times a day.
In addition to a well-rounded diet, regular physical activity, adequate sunlight exposure at appropriate times, and proper sleep are crucial for optimizing nutrient absorption and maintaining overall health.
Lekha. K, Dietician Gr I (HG),
Chest diseases hospital, Pulayanarkotta
