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Need for Implementation of Food Based Dietary Guidelines. By. Dr. Sunil S Jhangiani
Friday, August 01, 2008
Since 1996, majority of the countries have committed themselves to the development and implementation of food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG). Simply put, it is nutrition information and advice to the general public based on dietary patterns characterized by the consumption of foods.
Discussions on the need for standardizing global guidelines on clinical nutrition.
These guidelines are developed such that they are
relevant to public health issues, culturally appropriate and based upon
food availability patterns. Each country comes up with one set of
guidelines for the entire nation and a single food guide symbol or
image that captures all the key points.
Experts in the field of
nutrition, public health, education and food science who develop and
implement these have to struggle with the challenge of providing one
set of guidelines for an entire nation, applying the same guidelines to
all age groups and even having to confront the reality that there are
diverse populations in almost every country.
As the year 2007
sets upon us, the biggest global public health concern that emerged
this year was that for the first time we have more overweight and obese
people in the world than we have underweight or hungry people.
Therefore, today, FBDG ought to consider optimal dietary intake for
underweight, normal weight and overweight individuals. The 2005,
MyPyramid.com developed by the U.S.D.A for Americans does address the
issue of caloric intake based on age, gender, body weight and calories
expended. However, its sole reliance on having broadband connection
limits its widespread use by the public. What does one do in a country
like India where 4 of 10 adults in metropolitan areas are overweight or
obese and yet at the same time India has 57 million of the 146 million
malnourished kids globally? India is currently gearing up to come up
with a new set of guidelines that will address this and many other
difficult issues in a country of 1.1 billion people where 65% of the
population lives in the villages.
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