Eat Right India, Fit India Movement will be the game-changers: Harsh Vardhan

Cost of food-borne diseases is estimated to be a whopping $15 billion, says Union Minister for Health

Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan.

The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare on Thursday took note of the fact the economic cost of food-borne diseases is estimated to be a whopping $15 billion.

In a release, the Ministry noted that while wasting (21%), underweighting (36%) and stunting (38%) are common among children, with 50% of women and children suffering from anaemia; prevalence of obesity has doubled in the decade (2005-2015) from 9.3% to 18.6% among males and from 12.6% to 20.7% among females with a corresponding rise in deaths due to the NCDs.

Eat Right Movement off to a healthy start

The Health Minister quoting these figures noted that the

“Eat Right India” and the “Fit India” Movement will prove to be game-changers. The results will be visible for all of us in the coming 10 years. A systems-based approach can ensure food safety along with their secure availability, promoting a healthy diet along with taking care of the environment through sustainable practices.”

He was presiding over an inter-ministerial meet with FSSAI and senior officials of various Ministries to build a “Whole of Government” approach to achieve “Vision 2050” of the Eat Right India Movement.