Many factors affect diets, including social and economic factors. Income, food prices and food systems all play a role in promoting a healthy and a balanced diet.
Governments play the most important role in educating people about healthy dietary practices, and in helping achieve those dietary goals. It is of utmost importance to inform parents and caregivers about healthy nutrition, and for high-quality food to be easily accessible.
The key to a child’s wellbeing lies in having access to a healthy and balanced diet from all five food groups -- vegetables, fruit, grain foods, dairy, and protein. The nutrients gained from healthy foods are vital for growth, development, and learning.
Malnutrition occurs when someone does not get the nutrients needed from the food, and may lead to low blood sugar, low level of iron and other necessary nutrients. Poor nutrition results in problems in both physical and cognitive development in children. Stunting and wasting are two serious conditions that are caused by malnutrition.
The National Nutrition Survey of Pakistan in 2018 found that 40.2 percent of Pakistani children under the age of 5 years have stunted growth while 17.7 percent are affected by wasting. Twelve million children have low height for their age in Pakistan.
Another problem common in developing countries, like Pakistan, is low levels of iron, which causes anaemia. It also contributes significantly to high maternal mortality. Some 53.7 percent of children in Pakistan are anaemic, according to the 2018 National Nutrition Survey of Pakistan. Other than iron, children also suffer from zinc, vitamin A and vitamin D deficiencies.
Food fortification, the deliberate addition or increase of vitamins and minerals in food, can counter micronutrient malnutrition. It has been used successfully in interventions around the world to provide a positive impact on a population’s health. Countries in Central America have played a leading role in food fortification projects among developing countries. Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua have fortified sugar with vitamin A since 1970s. Consequently, there is almost no vitamin A deficiency in Guatemala now, and a large reductions in deficiency in El Salvador and Honduras. Central American countries have also fortified cereal flour with iron and vitamin B since the 1960s.
The fortification of salt with iodine has been a global success with nearly 76 percent of salt consumed in the world now being iodized. Pakistan, too, formally joined the Universal Salt Iodization (USI) programme in 1994, resulting in the decrease of iodine deficiency disorders and the prevalence of goitres. Many countries have been on a crusade to counter iron deficiency in their populations. Scientists in New Zealand’s Massey University have made a technological breakthrough called “Iron +” to address iron deficiency without affecting food product quality and taste. This is an exciting development to help the 1.6 billion people who suffer from iron deficiency anaemia, and will be particularly useful in fortifying milk and milk powders.
Learnings from global food fortification programmes suggest that success can only be achieved through mandatory fortification of staple foods that remain affordable always. For countries, such as Pakistan, where children’s malnutrition and iron deficiency needs to be addressed urgently, nutrient-enriched foods should be introduced, and its use should be encouraged. These include food products such as fortified milk and milk powders, particularly for children under the age of 5 who are more at risk to be affected by stunting and wasting.
Some actions being taken in Pakistan include wheat flour fortification with iron, folic acid, vitamin B12 and zinc, while edible oil is being fortified with vitamins A and D.
A healthy diet protects against malnutrition. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 37.5 million people in Pakistan do not receive adequate nourishment. Three percent of the country’s GDP is lost each year due to the high levels of malnutrition. One of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is related to good health and wellbeing. Without good nutrition, the development of individuals, communities and countries is not possible.
A balanced diet leads to good nutrition which in turn provides positive ripple effects in health, education, employment, and reduction of poverty. It is imperative for stakeholders in Pakistan to address the problem of malnutrition urgently by implementing more mandatory food fortification programmes with proper impact evaluation to correct this longstanding issue.
Governments play the most important role in educating people about healthy dietary practices, and in helping achieve those dietary goals. It is of utmost importance to inform parents and caregivers about healthy nutrition, and for high-quality food to be easily accessible.
The key to a child’s wellbeing lies in having access to a healthy and balanced diet from all five food groups -- vegetables, fruit, grain foods, dairy, and protein. The nutrients gained from healthy foods are vital for growth, development, and learning.
Malnutrition occurs when someone does not get the nutrients needed from the food, and may lead to low blood sugar, low level of iron and other necessary nutrients. Poor nutrition results in problems in both physical and cognitive development in children. Stunting and wasting are two serious conditions that are caused by malnutrition.
The National Nutrition Survey of Pakistan in 2018 found that 40.2 percent of Pakistani children under the age of 5 years have stunted growth while 17.7 percent are affected by wasting. Twelve million children have low height for their age in Pakistan.
The National Nutrition Survey of Pakistan in 2018 found that 40.2 percent of Pakistani children under the age of 5 years have stunted growth while 17.7 percent are affected by wasting. Twelve million children have low height for their age in Pakistan.
Another problem common in developing countries, like Pakistan, is low levels of iron, which causes anaemia. It also contributes significantly to high maternal mortality. Some 53.7 percent of children in Pakistan are anaemic, according to the 2018 National Nutrition Survey of Pakistan. Other than iron, children also suffer from zinc, vitamin A and vitamin D deficiencies.
Food fortification, the deliberate addition or increase of vitamins and minerals in food, can counter micronutrient malnutrition. It has been used successfully in interventions around the world to provide a positive impact on a population’s health. Countries in Central America have played a leading role in food fortification projects among developing countries. Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua have fortified sugar with vitamin A since 1970s. Consequently, there is almost no vitamin A deficiency in Guatemala now, and a large reductions in deficiency in El Salvador and Honduras. Central American countries have also fortified cereal flour with iron and vitamin B since the 1960s.
The fortification of salt with iodine has been a global success with nearly 76 percent of salt consumed in the world now being iodized. Pakistan, too, formally joined the Universal Salt Iodization (USI) programme in 1994, resulting in the decrease of iodine deficiency disorders and the prevalence of goitres. Many countries have been on a crusade to counter iron deficiency in their populations. Scientists in New Zealand’s Massey University have made a technological breakthrough called “Iron +” to address iron deficiency without affecting food product quality and taste. This is an exciting development to help the 1.6 billion people who suffer from iron deficiency anaemia, and will be particularly useful in fortifying milk and milk powders.
Food fortification, the deliberate addition or increase of vitamins and minerals in food, can counter micronutrient malnutrition. It has been used successfully in interventions around the world to provide a positive impact on a population’s health.
Learnings from global food fortification programmes suggest that success can only be achieved through mandatory fortification of staple foods that remain affordable always. For countries, such as Pakistan, where children’s malnutrition and iron deficiency needs to be addressed urgently, nutrient-enriched foods should be introduced, and its use should be encouraged. These include food products such as fortified milk and milk powders, particularly for children under the age of 5 who are more at risk to be affected by stunting and wasting.
Some actions being taken in Pakistan include wheat flour fortification with iron, folic acid, vitamin B12 and zinc, while edible oil is being fortified with vitamins A and D.
A healthy diet protects against malnutrition. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 37.5 million people in Pakistan do not receive adequate nourishment. Three percent of the country’s GDP is lost each year due to the high levels of malnutrition. One of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is related to good health and wellbeing. Without good nutrition, the development of individuals, communities and countries is not possible.
A balanced diet leads to good nutrition which in turn provides positive ripple effects in health, education, employment, and reduction of poverty. It is imperative for stakeholders in Pakistan to address the problem of malnutrition urgently by implementing more mandatory food fortification programmes with proper impact evaluation to correct this longstanding issue.