Need to focus on diet diversity: NIN chief

Due to the current health crises, people are looking for direction to improve their nutrition and achieve optimal immune function conducive to good health and wellbeing. But, only 10% of the people consume the recommended diverse diet in a day. This is the time to implement and make changes in our dietary pattern

Hyderabad: The TS chapter of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Friday organised a town hall on 'Nutrition for Health and Immunity in COVID and Beyond.'

Delivering the keynote address, Dr D Hemlatha, Director, National Institute of Nutrition, India stressed the need for adequate intake of nutritious food. It is important to ensure adequate intake of nutritious food not just during the pandemic but otherwise, too. Due to the current health crises, people are looking for direction to improve their nutrition and achieve optimal immune function conducive to good health and wellbeing. With the heightened motivation to acquire good nutrition, this is the best opportunity for all stakeholders to focus on health, she said. Dr Hemlatha mentioned the need to improve the diet pattern and include sustainable healthy diet in our daily lives. Diet diversity is very poor in India. Only 10% of the people consume the recommended diverse diet in a day, she stated. This is the time to implement and make changes in our dietary pattern.

Suresh Chitturi, Chairman – International Engg. Commission & Managing Director, Srinivasa Farms, mentioned that the right protein consumption is the biggest failure of the Indian food pattern. Nutrition care, which forms an integral part of preventive healthcare, is undergoing a transformation in India. Today, given the change in the dietary habits, increase in awareness on account of a rapidly growing middle-class population, and changes in consumer preferences when it comes to health, the demand for nutraceuticals and health supplements in the Indian market is growing.

Sameer Goel, Vice Chairman of CII-Telangana & MD of Coromandel International, in his welcome address stressed the need to encourage consumers to build eating patterns that consist of nutritious and wholesome foods. The responsibility of the individuals during the pandemic lies in making an effort to choose a healthy lifestyle, eat diets high in fruits and vegetables, exercise during free time, try to maintain a healthy weight, and get an adequate amount of sleep

The session discussed balancing diet and immune function and nutrition for health in Covid times and beyond. Other eminent speakers of the session were: Sridevi Jasti, Founder & Nutritionist, Vibrant Living Pvt Ltd, Deepika Chalasani, Clinical Nutrtionist, Fit4Life, and Dr Anuradha Reddy, nutrition & wellness expert, founder chairperson of Diabetes Foundation, and vice-president of Continental Hospitals.