Unlock those health woes

It takes just a few minutes for Shoumik to devour three burgers and two colas, but ask the 12-year-old to have his bowl of dal or vegetables and it will take him over an hour.
Yes, the eating habits of Indians are undergoing a radical change. The good ol' dal, roti and sabzi are giving way to burgers and pizzas. But, unfortunately, not without a price.Studies say the prevalence of obesity, diabetes and hypertension is skyrocketing in India. This has resulted in more than 100 renowned experts on nutrition, internal medicine, endocrinology, cardiology and sports medicine formulating the dietary guidelines for the prevention of obesity, diabetes and other related diseases under the aegis of the government's department of science and technology.
Unfortunately, the last time that India prepared its official dietary guidelines was in 1998 - years before the fast food culture hit the country. That's why experts say the guidelines are inadequate. Under the new guidelines, a sedentary Indian adult male of 165 cm height should weigh 62 kg and would require a basic minimum of 1,850 kcal a day to maintain a healthy weight. According to them, carbohydrates, the major source of energy, should be approximately 60 per cent of the total calorie intake. For example, in 1,800 kcal and 2,000 kcal diets, the carbohydrate intake would be 225-270 gm per day and 250-300 gm per day, respectively, for a moderately active individual.
These can be derived from whole wheat, barley, refined flour, beans, legumes and whole fruits like guava and apple. Since the total dietary fibre in our daily diet should be 25-40 gm per day, experts recommend at least 4-5 servings fruits and vegetables daily. Fat, both visible in the form of oil, butter and ghee and invisible fat from cereals and pulses, should provide not more than 30 per cent of the total energy. Monounsaturated fatty acids (nuts such as pistachios, almonds and olive oil) should provide 10-15 per cent of the total energy. Transfatty acids like vanaspati, bakery food products and ready-to-use soups and margarine should be less than 1 per cent of the total energy intake, while protein intake should be based on body weight. Ideally, it should be around 1 gm per kg per day.
In conjunction with the energy intake, the protein intake should provide 10-15 per cent of the total calories in moderately active individuals. Free sugars, experts add, should be less than 10 per cent of the total calories consumed. This includes all added sugars and sugars in honey, syrups and fruit juices. Artificial sweeteners can be used in moderation.
It's also essential to drink 8-10 glasses of water everyday. Instead of aerated drinks, it's better to opt for beverages like butter milk, coconut water and fresh lime with water. According to Dr Anoop Misra, director, department of diabetes and metabolic diseases at Fortis Hospitals , the most important reason for the increasing prevalence of obesity, diabetes and hypertension is India's nutritional transition or rapidly changing, imbalanced dietary habits.
This again is due to many reasons - easy availability of convenience foods, frequent snacking on energy-dense fast foods and a high consumption of packaged foods instead of traditional homemade foods. "This transition has resulted in an excess consumption of calories, saturated fat, trans-fatty acids, simple sugars and salt, and a low intake of fibre. We believe that the application of new nutritional guidelines will significantly help in preventing and halting diabetes and the obesity epidemic," he adds.
Dr Rekha Sharma, former chief dietician, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, says, "There's been rampant increase in obesity and other non-communicable diseases, mainly due to faulty eating and sedentary lifestyles. A revision of the dietary guidelines is therefore necessary. They should be tailor-made to the eating patterns of the Indian population." Dr Shashank Joshi, senior endocrinologist, Lilavati and Bhatia Hospital, Mumbai, adds, "Nutrition guidelines are most necessary . It is important to focus on the changing imbalanced diets of Indians and critically revise the existing dietary guidelines."
Experts say a countrywide adaptation of these guidelines is likely to have a significant impact on the prevalence and management of obesity, the metabolic syndrome, the polycystic ovarian syndrome, hypertension, high cholesterol and triglycerides, fatty liver, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, gout, gangrene, obstructive sleep apnoea, heart failure, infertility, osteoarthritis, cancers and respiratory problems.
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad, which had formulated the earlier guidelines a decade ago, is also in the final stages of revising those guidelines. Dr D Raghunatha Rao, assistant director of NIN, says, "Economic growth has increased the purchasing power of Indian families leading them to bank more on junk rather than nutritious food. The new guidelines will specify the recommended dietary allowances, food groups and healthy cooking practices for the prevention and management of diseases." Former union health minister Dr A Ramadoss had earlier said, "India is home to one-fourth of the world's children. If they are allowed to continue with eating junk food and drinking colas, it will lead to a heavy burden of heart disease and diabetes." According to him, over-nutrition will become India's main worry by 2015.
An average active adult male requires 2,400 kcal a day, while an average woman requires 2,200 kcal a day, through five meals
Apregnant woman requires 300 kcal in addition to the normal daily requirement of 2,200 kcal
Dr Raghunatha Rao of the National Institute of Nutrition says the new guidelines will also keep in mind India's increasing geriatric population A sedentary Indian male of 165 cm height should weigh 62 kg, and requires 1,850 kcal to maintain a healthy weight Drink 2 litres of water everyday Avoid alcohol; regular intake of excessive alcohol is harmful Avoid any highcalorie drinks; opt for beverages like buttermilk, coconut water and fresh lime with water Try to have small meals at regular intervals of 3-4 hours A healthy breakfast is essential Healthy cooking methods could minimise the intake of fats in the diet
Existing dietary guidelines were prepared way back in 1998 by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad
Adopting the new dietary guidelines will have a significant impact on the prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome, hypertension, high cholesterol and triglycerides, fatty liver, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, gout, gangrene, obstructive sleep apnoea, infertility, osteoarthritis, respiratory problems and various types of cancers
Prevalence of hypertension in India has increased from 6.64% in 1988 to 30%in 2008
By 2020, India will have more individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD) than any other region
By 2020, there will be a 111%increase in cardiovascular deaths in India
Coronary deaths in India stood at 1.17 million in 1990, and could almost double by 2010 to 2.03million
Source: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare