"An unhealthy diet, more deadly than tobacco" | India News

NEW DELHI: A new study published in the Lancet indicates that the unhealthy diet is responsible for more premature deaths than tobacco, high blood pressure or any other health risk. Dietary risk was the second most important factor of death and disability in India in 2017, after malnutrition.

Food risk in India has also increased by 35% in a decade since 2007, when it ranked fourth, after malnutrition, air pollution, and water, sanitation and hygiene risks. (WASH).

Although malnutrition remains at the top of the list of risk factors behind most deaths and disabilities in India, its overall impact has decreased by 35.3%.

Although sugar and trans fatty acids are harmful, the study highlights the impact of low consumption of a healthy diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and legumes.

In India, low whole grain consumption was the leading dietary risk factor in terms of death and disability, according to the findings of the study. According to the researchers, the leading causes of diet-related deaths are heart attacks and strokes, followed by cancers and type 2 diabetes.

"Although sodium, sugar and fat have been at the center of diet policy debates over the past two decades, our assessment shows that the main risk factors for dietary-related mortality are diets high in sodium, low in whole grains, low in fruit, low in nutrients. in nuts and seeds, low in vegetables and low in omega-3

Fatty acids; each of them accounting for more than 2% of deaths worldwide, "says the study, suggesting an overall policy shift to promote healthy eating while reducing unhealthy foods such as sugary drinks and junk food rich in salt and trans fatty acids.

The research is part of the Global Burden of Disease study conducted by the Seattle Institute of Metrology and Health Assessment (IHME).

However, the findings have also raised concerns among nutrition experts in India, who believe that the study is shifting the debate on unhealthy foods.

"While I do not disagree that people should eat more whole grains and vegetables, etc., the research does not deal with the marketing of unhealthy foods, which results in the movement of healthy foods. Says Arun Gupta, a renowned advocate of nutrition.

Worldwide, poor nutrition accounted for 10.9 million deaths, or 22% of all adult deaths. In addition, 255 million disability adjusted life years (DALYs) – which is the sum of years of life lost and years lived with disability – were due to poor nutrition. Cardiovascular disease was the leading cause, followed by cancer and diabetes. Almost half – 45% – were people under 70 years old.

The study found that eating and drinking better could prevent one in five deaths worldwide.