ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a) to (b): Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has informed that as per ICMR’s India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative study report 2017, there has been an increase in the number of people suffering from Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) which has been associated with lifestyle. As per the change in Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALYs) number and rate for the leading individual causes in India from 1990 to 2016, Ischemic heart disease/Cardio Vascular Disease (CVDs) was the leading cause of death in 2016. The DALYs has increased by about 34% for CVDs and 80% for diabetes from 1990 to 2016. The risk factors for diabetes are high body mass index (BMI), low physical activity and increase in unhealthy diet (dietary risk) which has also increased by about 150.5%, 37.6% and 12.1% respectively from 1990 to 2016.
According to ICMR’s data from the ICMR-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study, the prevalence of diabetes, obesity (generalized and abdominal) and hypertension in the 15 States/UT studied till date found highest prevalence of diabetes (13.6%) in Chandigarh and hypertension in Manipur (30.8%).
ICMR and National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) conducted two surveys to assess the prevalence of Diabetes among rural and urban adult population. The survey revealed a prevalence of 8.2% and 28.1% among men in Rural and Urban areas respectively. The corresponding prevalence for Women is 6.8% and 23.3% respectively.
Further, Development of obesity is multi-factorial and eating of junk food and processed food is one of them. Childhood obesity is a risk factor of developing heart diseases and diabetes in later life. In a recent systemic review of studies on childhood obesity from India published in Indian J Med Res 143, February, 2016, indicated that overweight and obesity rates in children and adolescents are increasing not just among the higher socio-economic groups but also in the lower income groups where underweight still remains a major concern. The study showed that the pooled data after 2010 estimated a combined prevalence of 19.3% of childhood overweight and obesity which was a significant increase from the earlier prevalence of 16.3% reported in 2001-2005.
As per the NMHS 2015-16 reported that the overall prevalence for any mental illness was 13.7% lifetime. The World Mental Health Survey in India, 2005, reported the prevalence of common mental disorders as 5.52%. (Reference: R. Srinivasa Murthy. National Mental Health Survey of India 2015-16. Indian J. Psychiatry. 2017 January to March; 59(1):21-26).
According to a recent multi-centric (11 Hospital from different parts of India) study on chronic liver disease in India revealed that 1.28% (266621 out of 20701383) of patients attending for medical services had liver disease. (Reference: Mukherjee etal. Etiology and mode of presentation of chronic liver diseases in India: A multi centric studyPlos One. October 26, 2017)
(c) & (d): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been actively engaged in creating awareness towards healthy eating and reducing consumption of High Fat
Salt and Sugar Foods under ‘Eat Right India’ movement which is based on three pillars of eating safe, eating healthy and eating sustainably. Several initiatives and outreach programmes form part of this movement.
ICMR-NIN has recommended a new syllabus to be included in Text books of School Children in NCERT Board on Healthy Food habits and Nutrition as a part of Nutrition Education and Communication strategy for Healthy Foods. ICMR-NIN is making Nutrition Education Videos for Adolescent girls on Healthy Food habits as a part of Poshan Abhiyan.
Ministry of Women and Child Development had constituted a Working Group under Chairmanship of ICMR–NIN for addressing consumption of foods High in Fat, Salt and Sugar (HFSS) and promotion of healthy snacks in schools of India.
The Government has already launched the following National Programmes for the prevention and control of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) including its risk factors:
a. The National NCD Action Plan which has identified the 10 national NCD targets to be achieved by Year 2025.
b. National Program for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular disease and Stroke (NPCDCS) and most recently COPD has been included under this program.
c. National School Health Program.
The School health programme specifically focused on school age children. Its main focus is to address the health needs of children, both physical and mental, and in addition, it provides for nutrition interventions, yoga facilities and counselling.
(e): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has finalised the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018 which pertains to claims and advertisements by food business operators in respect of their food products. These regulations are aimed at establishing fairness in claims and advertisements of food products and make food business accountable for such claims/advertisements so as to protect consumer interest. Food establishments which use trans-fat free fats/oil and do not have industrial trans-fat more than 0.2g/100g of food in compliance to these regulations can display “Trans fat free” logo in their outlets and on their food products. The use of the said logo is voluntary.
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