The Eat Right Mela held in Coimbatore on Friday stressed the importance of following healthy and safe food habits to keep lifestyle diseases at bay.
Coimbatore district administration and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) jointly conducted the mela on Hindusthan College of Arts and Science campus.
Coimbatore District Collector G.S. Sameeran said the country’s average life expectancy stood at 32 years in 1947 and now the same had increased to 70.9 years.
“Around 38 lakh people died in the Bengal famine in 1943. But efforts like the green revolution and other measures raised India to a food surplus country. Now more people are dying of diseases caused by unhealthy food and lifestyle,” he said.
Quoting a study of the Lancet, Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner M. Prathap said more people were dying of lifestyle or noncommunicable diseases than the number of people losing their lives in road traffic accidents.
“Our ancestors followed healthy food habits and included millets as their staple food. The new generation is hardly following these healthy diets. But awareness on the benefits of millets and other traditional food is increasing,” he said.
FSSAI Designated Officer K. Tamilselvan said the mela was being conducted in major cities across the country as part of celebrating the country’s 75th year of independence.
A total of 30 stalls at the mela featured a variety of food and health products. Chef Padayal Sivakumar attempted a world record by preparing 500 varieties of food without using fire.
