Nagpur, 12 May

(HS): Malnourishment deaths are often reported from tribal dominated areas of Melghat

in Amravati district only, as a few decades ago a local correspondent had

provided startling figures from the region attracting attention of entire

health machinery in the country. The issue, however, is not restricted to

Melghat. Similar is the situation in remote areas of Gadchiroli, Nandurbar,

Dhule in Maharashtra.

Many villages in

these districts are isolated during monsoon. The villagers survive on whatever

food they can get in their villages. The health machinery also cannot access

these villages to help them.

With the

increasing road network the intensity might have reduced, but the problem

persists.

The

malnourishment in remote villages are often reported by the media, even when

the problem in urban areas remain neglected. In urban areas obesity is also a

sort of malnourishment, which is above 40 per cent among children and youth

against around 13 per cent in rural and remote areas.

Dr Pratima

Shastri, a retired professor in Food Technology from Laxminarayan Institute of

Technology (now Laxminarayan Innovative Technology University), Nagpur and

social worker describes the two factors as undernourishment in rural area and overnourishment

in urban areas.

The problem in

both the areas can be called imbalance in nutritional food. In rural area

nutritional food is not available, in urban area it remains neglected although

available in abundance. Many government schemes are being implemented to handle

the issue, including awareness generation.

In urban areas

growing obesity is because of changing lifestyle. The easily available ‘ready

to eat’ food is available in the market and can be accessed within minutes.

These ultra-processed food are rich in calories, but lack micronutrients. This

cause imbalance and result in obesity in urban areas. This ready to eat food is

costly and often unhealthy.

Dr Shastri is

working the director of a social organisation for welfare of women and

handicapped children. Besides helping handicapped children and women in

distress, the organisation prepares ‘Ready Mix’ nutritious food items like Sattu,

Ukadpendi, Poha (popular in Maharashtra) etc. These items can be taken home and

can be easily made by using boiling water or a little oil to make tasty snack

items.

In the recent

past ‘Ready Mix’ food items are being marketed. But the basic attention to

nutrition through these easily available food items remain the last priority.

The bad effects

of this changing food habits and lifestyle can be seen with youths suffering

from various health issues. Growing stress due to stiff competition adds to the

ill-effects of malnourishment at a younger age.

Health issues

related to stomach disorders are very common. These finally results in issues

like obesity, hypertension, diabetes, mental disorders etc.

The need to take

the issue seriously by youth in urban areas is essential, similar to educating

people in remote villages.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Ajay Vasant Mardikar