HEALTH experts have said that unbalanced food intake and inappropriate dietary habits can lead to serious health complication. According to them, unbalanced food can prove fatal for people while well managed diet can help prevent and even reverse health related problems.
Consultant Nutritionist Dr Aftab Ahmad talking to mediamen on Wednesday quoted a survey conducted in 2004 according to which 10.5 million children died before their fifth birthday and many of these deaths were from preventable causes that were exacerbated or caused by malnutrition.
He said that in Pakistan infant mortality rate (IMR) is 65 per thousand births and under-five mortality rate is 78 deaths per 1,000 births, which was drastically high.
He said malnutrition is directly and indirectly responsible for 50 percent of all under five deaths in Pakistan. He added economic and social development are coupled with increased urbanization and shifts the food supply and production.
He was of the view that dieticians and community nutritionists can play a key role to create enhanced awareness of nutrition problems and healthy dietary practices.
Dr Sharif Astori from Federal Government Poly Clinic said that unbalanced food intake can become the root-cause of deadly diseases including certain cancers such as colon, ovary, and breast.
He stressed the need to follow a balanced diet plan to avoid health hazards. He alerted that excessive water intake or inability of body to get rid of extra fluid may cause problems in function of brain, heart and lungs.
“Less intake of water or more than normal loss of water from body may lead to low blood pressure which affects vital organs of the body including brain and kidney,” he said.
Dr Wasim Khawaja from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) advised that 30-35 kilo calories per kg body weight must be taken to address body needs, adding, daily energy or protein requirement are 0.8 -1.2 g of protein per kg per day.
He added in moderate to severe stress the requirement is 1.5g per kg per day. He said unbalanced diet increases risk of major depression and obesity can become source of social discrimination.
He warned that 35 to 40 percent total body weight loss is usually fatal. He said vitamins are important for body functions and their deficiency may cause anorexia, muscle cramps,paresthesias, irritability, anemia, mouth soreness, skin problems, bone weakness and night blindness.
According to experts, the teenage years are a very crucial time for young girls to really get involved in physical activities. Many young girls today are overweight simply because they give little or no time at all for exercise.
If you’re a teenage girl wanting to lose or maintain weight, you should spend at least 30 minutes to an hour exercising or involving yourself in physical activities like sports or dancing. Such activities can boost up your metabolism and allow you to shed off excess weight fast.