Importance of Adequate and Balanced Nutrition

1. Importance of Adequate and Balanced Nutrition Dr. Biplab K. Nandi Former Senior Food and Nutrition Officer Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; President, Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Advancement, Kolkata (SNEHA), India ILSI-India Conference on Managing Sweetness, Delhi 17 September 2009

2. Overview • Food and Nutrition Security • WFS and MDGs • Key to Balanced Nutrition • Nutritional Situation—Asia and World • Double Burden of Malnutrition • Food Based Strategies—Diversified Food Basket • FAO Projects in support of Balanced Nutrition • Concluding Remarks

3. Food and Nutrition Security • Four Dimensions of Food Security • Nutritional Security • Household Food Security

4. WFS and MDGs • WFS • MDG 1 and other 7 MDGs

5. Millennium Development Goals Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Achieve universal primary education Promote gender equality and empower women Reduce child mortality Improve maternal health Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases Ensure environmental sustainability Development a global partnership for development

6. Four Key to Balanced Nutrition • Food Based Dietary Guidelines • Macronutrients • Micronutrients • Hydration—Safe drinking water • Plate Method—For portioning daily diet

7. Suggested Portioning of Diet • 50% of total calories from CHO • 20% of total calories from fats • Emphasis on Monounsaturated fats: olive, saffola etc. • Green Leafy Vegetables • Assorted Vegetables • Fruits • 6-8 glasses of water • Protein (more of milk and milk products and pulses) • Fish—Highly Recommended • Whole grains (Brown rice)

8. Important Considerations • Access to safe and adequate nutritious Foods • Four dimensions of Food and Nutrition Security • Dietary Diversification and Food based approach • Balancing Calories and Consuming Wide Variety of Foods • Food for Balanced Nutrition and Health • Promoting Nutrition, right from the childhood • Life Cycle Approach

9. FAO’s Mandate (founded in 1945) Raise levels of nutrition and standards of living Improve agricultural productivity Better the conditions of rural populations Contribute to the expansion of the world’s economy

10. Prevalence of undernourishment Source : FAO, SOFI, 2008

11. Prevalence of undernourishment, South Asia (Data NA for Bhutan, Maldives) Source: FAO, SOFI,2008

12. World Nutrition Situation • IDA: affects more than 3.5 billion people • VAD: 3.3 million U5s with clinical VAD and 75-140 million U5s with sub-clinical VAD • IDD: 740 million people affected by goitre

13. Global Malnutrition Situation—A Paradox • FAO: 848 million undernourished • WHO: 300 million obese adults and 115 million people in developing countries suffering from obesity-related conditions

14. Double Burden of Malnutrition • A real Paradox • Undernutrition • Diet related chronic diseases due to over nutrition—Diabetes, CHD, Some forms of Cancer • Managing both through diet • Adequate and Balanced Nutrition—the key • Physical Activity • Healthy Lifestyle

15. ICN, WFS and Millennium Summit • ICN & World Declaration of the Plan of Action for Nutrition including combating Hidden Hunger led to developing National Plans of Action for Nutrition (NPANs) • International Alliance Against Hunger (IAAH) • MDGs included nutrition and health as one of the cornerstones of development. • Greater investment in nutrition linked agriculture and development strategies leads to improved health, in particular, has beneficial effects on next generation.

16. FAO projects and Lessons Learnt in Asia • Bangladesh • Bhutan • Cambodia • China • India • Indonesia • Lao PDR • Nepal • Philippines • Sri Lanka • Thailand • Viet Nam

17. Role of FAO in support of food based strategies • Facilitates process for promoting supply, access and consumption of adequate quantity and quality of safe foods • Primarily advocates dietary diversification and fortification • Recognizes need for broad based supplementation (high risk areas) and public health measures • Improve both micronutrient and overall nutritional status

18. Share of food groups as percentage of DES(kcal/caput/day) Adapted from FBS, 2001

19. Recommendations and Conclusions • Promote Nutrition Orientation to Food Production by incorporating nutrition considerations into development policies and programmes and agriculture in particular, including poverty reduction strategies • National Food and Agriculture Policy to aim/strengthen achievement of balanced production and availability of a range of diverse foods

20. Adequate and Balanced Nutrition • Farm and not Pharmacy, approach • Diversified Food Basket for Balancing Calorie Intake and Dietary Diversification

21. Concluding Remarks • Reference to National RDA and Food Pyramid • Limiting Sugar Intake • Eating more Whole Grains • Avoiding Trans fats • Limiting Saturated Fat Intake • Eating 20% to 35% of daily calories from Fats • Consuming monounsaturated and poly unsaturated Fats • Ensuring Safety of Foods

22. An Old Chinese Proverb REGARDLESS OF WHO THE FATHER OF A DISEASE IS SURELY ITS MOTHER IS IMPROPER DIET

23. Another Saying Let Food be Our Medicine

24. Contact nandi.biplab@gmail.com President Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Advancement (SNEHA) Kolkata, India

25. THANK YOU For Your Kind Attention