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CLASS XII

CHAPTER 3

   PUBLIC NUTRITION AND HEALTH

OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSONS:

• §  Understand the signification of public nutrition
• §  Identify the nutritional problems of public health significance
• §  Enlist the factors that are linked to nutritional problems.
• §  Enumerate the strategies that can be used to tackle nutritional problems.
• §  Get acquainted with the programmes that are in operation to tackle important nutritional problems
• 
  

HEALTH :

As per WHO, HEALTH is a state of complete physical, mental, social and emotional well being and not merely absence of disease.

WHO defines PUBLIC HEALTH as the collective action taken by the society to protect and promote the health of the whole populations.

Mission of public health nutrition is

1. to prevent both over nutrition and under nutrition

2. to maintain optimal nutritional status of the population

Problem of UNDER-NUTRITION

Malnutrition is the cause of at least 50% of the deaths of children below the age of 5 years.

a. Almost 1/3^rd of the infants born in India are of low birth weight. They weigh less than 2.5 kg. Infants start  life with a handicap.

b. There is widespread prevalence of the growth retardation among pre-schoolers and almost half the children suffer from mild and moderate under nutrition.

c. Large proportion of children and adults suffer from micro nutrient deficiencies, such as, iron, zinc, vitamin A, iodine, folic acid and B12.

If the problems of malnutrition are not handled effectively they lead to following problems:

v  Affect physical growth

v  Lead to smaller body stature in adulthood

v  Affect the cognitive and mental development of the child

v  Have negative impact on the productivity and quality of life.

Problem of OVER-NUTRITION

v  A large section of the population has altered their dietary patterns and life style.

v  People have become sedentary.

v  People are relying on faster modes of transport.

v  People are walking less.

v  People are doing lesser  amount of outdoor activities or physical activities.

v  Children are not playing enough of outdoor games.

v  Dietary patterns have become less healthful.

v  Food choices have become less healthy and more emphasis is on  processed foods, fast foods, snacks and western foods.

v  Intake of whole grains, fruits and vegetables is reduced

v  This is leading to inappropriate weight gain, obesity and diseases like diabetes, cancer, hypertension, arthritis etc.

v  These diseases are non communicable and they take their toll on the physical health, quality of life and add to financial burden.

DOUBLE BURDEN OF MALNUTRITION

Ø  India is facing DOUBLE BURDEN OF MALNUTRITION.

Ø  Both over and under nutrition are co-existing.

Ø  Many children below the age of five years are suffering from malnutrition (under nutrition) in our country. At the same time among the high income group children are suffering from over nutrition.

Ø  Although communicable diseases such as small pox  has been controlled, but new diseases like HIV-AIDS, obesity and diabetes have set in.  those children who are under nourished are difficult to handle because they have compromised or lower immunity.

Ø  Compromised or lowered immunity causes a threat to the doctors, nutritionists and trained public health workers to address the problem and solve it.

WHAT IS PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITION?

Public health nutrition is field of study that is concerned with the promotion of good health by preventing nutrition related diseases/illnesses and problems in the population.  It also works towards implementation of the government policies and programmes that are aimed at improving health of the population and solve health related problems from the masses.

Public health nutritionists use large scale, organized and multidisciplinary approaches to resolve the problems that affect the masses.

In this the professionals are required to address the problems of the community or the public with special emphasis on the vulnerable groups.

Public nutrition is a special body of knowledge that is derived from the nutritional, biological, behavioural, social and managerial sciences

Public health nutrition is also the art and science of promoting good health, preventing diseases and illnesses and  prolonging the life of masses through organized efforts and relevant actions for the society.

Disease – needs to be cured .

Illness –needs to be managed

Society is built upon interactions with varied people

Community is the collection of people with similar interests, common characteristics and essentially residing in one geographic place.

HOW TO PROMOTE GOOD NUTRITION?

To promote good nutrition and also to promote nutritional problems following points have to be considered:

Ø  To identify the problem and its magnitude

Ø  Understand how and why these problems occur

Ø  Plan strategies and actions to implement them and evaluate the impact on the community at large.

REASONS FOR NUTRITIONAL PROBLEMS IN OUR COUNTRY

·         Poverty

·         Non availability of food

·         No access to basic amenities of life.

·         Poor hygiene and sanitation – rural families do not have access to proper toilets.

·         Loss of working days and economic losses, due to poor or no sanitation.

·         No availability of safe drinking water.

·         Loss of working days, due to occurrence of water borne diseases.

FACTORS RELATED TO NUTRITIONAL PROBLEMS:

Ø  Economic factors - Poverty, Education level, and Government policies

Ø  Agricultural policies – regarding production, pricing and availability of food.

Ø  Health care facilities - Co-existing infections and health-related services, Environmental sanitation Demographic issues

Ø  Availability and access to various government policies - Lack of nutrition information

Ø  Political and socio-cultural factors - Availability, accessibility, and affordability (3 A’s), Food considerations , Consumption, Utilization

Ø  Overgrazing Civil upheaval and strife: i.e. people forced to leave their farms •massive migration to refugee camp.

APARNA SHARMA

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