TS women, kids found low in nutrition levels

State ranks lowest among southern states: National survey

Telangana ranks lowest among south Indian states across parameters pertaining to nutrition for women and children. This was revealed in the recently released findings of National Family and Health Survey - 5.

Only nine per cent of children in the 6-23 month age-group in the state were getting the minimum acceptable diet, which is a WHO parameter to assess feeding practices of infants and young children, the survey said. It took into account whether the children were breastfed, the number of food groups they consumed and the number of meals they ate.

Among south Indian states, Telangana and AP rank poorly on this count.

Another parameter in which Telangana fared the worst was the prevalence of anaemia in children in the 6-59 month age-group, which is at 70 per cent.

Nutritional parameters for the state’s women were also far from ideal. The prevalence of anaemia in women, at 57.6 per cent, was the second highest in the south after AP (58.8 per cent). The percentage of women whose body mass index (BMI) was lower than 17, and were classified as moderately or severely thin, was 8.7 per cent, again the highest among southern states.

Nutritionists attributed Telangana’s parameters to multiple factors.

Chief dietician at SLG Hospitals Dr Bathula Arun Kumar said that in the rural areas, there was hardly any awareness about the need to have nutritious food. Added to that most of them at nonvegetarian food quite frequently, he said.

Dietician at KIMS Hospital, Kondapur, Dr S.L. Priyadarshini Kadiyala said major lifestylerelated issues among Hyderabadis were leading to a lack of nutrition. She said negligence on the part of parents, such as ordering outside food too often, preparing carbohydrate-heavy rather than nutritious meals and lack of any physical activity were contributing to the problem.