Underweight children, that is, those below the standard weight for an age, as defined by international standards adapted for countries, is a very reliable indicator of persistent malnutrition. This affects the child’s physical and mental development and thus casts a long shadow on the future of such children.
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As can be seen in the chart below, among the states with the highest share of underweight children are Bihar (41%), Gujarat (40%), Maharashtra (36%) and Karnataka (33%), while Kerala and some of the North-Eastern Indian states have lower underweight rates, though still unacceptably high. Note that Bihar is one of the poorest states, and Gujarat one of the richest ones – yet underweight children’s shares are virtually the same. Bihar has improved slightly from 2015-16 – the share of underweight children is now 41% compared with 44% then. But both Gujarat and Maharashtra are practically at the same levels. Assam, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala have shown deterioration with slightly more children underweight now, and Nagaland has shown an increase of over 10%.
Low weight is visible in children in two ways: stunting (low height for age) or wasting (low height for weight). Both these parameters were checked in the NHFS-5 survey. The results can be seen in the chart below.Again, you can find some of the richer states like Maharashtra and Gujarat right at the top with some of the more backward and poorer states, like Bihar and Assam. Other North-Eastern states continue at the lower end, except Meghalaya which has the highest proportion of stunted children at 47%. The survey experts have cautioned that in the smaller states like those in the North-East (except Assam) the sample sizes are small and hence results need to be taken with some caution.
Rampant Anaemia
The other feature of an imbalanced or deficient diet – even of hunger – is existence of chronic anaemia. Again, this deficiency of iron in the blood affects both physical and mental development of the child. The chart below shows the shockingly high rates of anaemia in small children.
Bihar is sandwiched between some of the more prosperous states like Gujarat and Maharashtra, although West Bengal and Telangana, too, are among the top five states. What is most striking is that the share of children with anaemia is over 60% in nine of the states and over 40% in 16 out of 17 states, with only Kerala marginally below that at 39%. Clearly, this is a national problem which has reached dire levels. Another noteworthy fact is that anaemia levels have increased in all states, except Meghalaya, where a small decline is reported.
This clearly shows that all the policies and exhortations by Central and state governments are failing as people are just unable to procure healthy balanced food on a daily basis. Remember, that this is when several government-run programmes are providing food to children, mainly through anganwadis for this age group.
Another equally disturbing aspect of this crisis is that anaemia continues unabated among women of reproductive age. As the chart below shows, Bihar and Gujarat continue to figure in the top five states, but the other three states are West Bengal, Tripura and Assam, all in Eastern India. In all the states, barring a few, proportion of women with anaemia has increased.
Fast forwarding to today, we have a whole amount of food available for most of us. It isn’t the biggest concern for the majority. Physical work has also reduced because of the technical advancements. People in service sector, are least required to perform any physical labour. While our activities have changed, our taste preference hasn’t. This has led to storing of unnecessary calories in our body, hindering our normal physical as well as organ functions. Today, lifestyle diseases are the biggest killers in the world. They drain most of the money, especially from poor and the middle class.
Here’s what changed my food habits:
Personal
My fiancé had attended a nutrition workshop wherein she was explained in depth the benefits of eating a whole-food plant based diet, which involved only eating unprocessed, whole foods, all derived from plants. She was following this religiously which made me also rethink my eating habits. Although I didn’t change instantly, this was where it started.
Health
I then started reading about the health impacts of eating only plant foods and the side effects of eating meat or dairy. I also watched videos like Forks over knives and What the health to gain an understanding of what would be in it for me if I followed such a diet. Here’s a summary of what I learned:
Lifestyle illnesses like heart disease which are directly related to food and nutrition are the biggest killers in the world ahead of cancer and other threats.
Eating only plant-based food has been shown to not just prevent heart disease but reverse it as well.
Eating meat and dairy are linked to almost all lifestyle illnesses, sometimes finding a link to neurological illnesses too.
Processed food is almost as bad or even worse than consuming dairy or meat.
Politics
As I started reading up more about nutrition and health, I realised that politics plays a major role in what we eat. The meat and dairy industries exist to maximise profits just like any other business. They don’t give a damn about our health. The nexus between the WHO, dairy and meat industry is as strong as the nexus between coal mines and the governments. Most of the articles on food and nutrition are funded by dairy and meat industries and it’s usually them who decide which paper should be publicised and which shouldn’t, what information should reach people and in what amounts.
Ethical
Although it’s difficult to talk about ethics on an empty stomach and it is best not to talk about it when one doesn’t have a choice, most people today are spoilt for choice when it comes to food. People simply have to click a button to decide whether to go for that Chicken Biryani or for Plain Rice. Most non-vegetarians today defend their right to eat meat by firstly arguing that plants have feelings too and therefore it is somehow okay to kill animals. Secondly, that they have been eating meat for centuries without any harm. The problem with the first statement, even if it was true, is that animals consume a LOT of plants and require plenty of vegetation simply to exist. Therefore, by eating animals, we are doing a lot more harm/violence than we can ever imagine otherwise. The problem with the second statement is, well, Sati was also something quite common or popular once upon a time but today it would land you in jail.
The whole purpose of human endeavours should be to strive to live such that we make it fit for our current and future generations to live comfortably. Changing our eating habits can go a long way towards this end.
The Survey report also highlights that among pregnant women, too, high rates of anaemia were found. This would mean that the children they bear will inherit weaknesses and susceptibilities – they will be doomed from the first day of their life.
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