EAT-Lancet Commission Report | UPSC
HEADLINES:
Indian diets are unhealthy: EAT-Lancet report
WHY IN NEWS:
The report compared food consumption patterns in India with a reference diet from the EAT-Lancet Commission
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Report
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS understand the comparison and the analysis made on grains and pulses . Remember the publishers are based in Stockholm !
For MAINS use this report to substantiate your answers related to malnutrition and agricultural policies . Let us dive in !
ISSUE:
FOCUS OF THE REPORT :
- The report compared food consumption patterns in India with a reference diet from EAT-Lancet.
- Calorie consumption of each food group — by kilocalorie per capita per day — was calculated using the quantity of consumption, from nutritional values of food items that were provided by the NSSO.
DATA SURVEY AND COMPARISON :
- COMPARISON : This study used data for analysis from the Consumption Expenditure Survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in 2011–12.
- SURVEY : The survey carried a nationally representative sample of 0.102 million households from 7,469 villages and 5,268 urban blocks across the country.
DAILY CALORIE CONSUMPTION IN INDIA IS LOW
- CALORIE CONSUMPTION : The average daily calorie consumption in India is below the recommended 2,503 kcal / capita / day across all groups, except the richest 5 per cent of the population.
- LOWER CALORIE CONSUMPTION : The calorie share of fruits, vegetables, legumes, meat, fish and eggs in Indian diets was significantly lower, while whole grains accounted for more than EAT-Lancet recommendations.
- PROTEIN DIET ? Calories from protein sources account for only six to eight per cent of Indian diets, while the EAT-Lancet diet recommends the share be 29 per cent.
- IMPACT OF PROCESSED FOOD : An average Indian household consumes more calories from processed foods than fruits.
- GRAINS IN DIET : The average Indian household receives nearly half (47 per cent) of their total calories from whole grains.
- RURAL CALORIE SHARE OF CEREALS : The calorie share of cereals is as high as 70 per cent for the poorest rural households.
EFFECTS OF UNHEALTHY DIET
- MALNUTRITION : Unhealthy diets are linked to malnutrition and several diseases.
ABOUT LANCET EAT :
- WHAT IS LANCET EAT ? EAT is a non-profit startup dedicated to transforming our global food system through sound science, impatient disruption and novel partnerships.
- VISION : It is a fair and sustainable global food system for healthy people and planet – leaving no one behind.
- MISSION : Mission is to transform our global food system through sound science, impatient disruption and novel partnerships.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- There is a significant difference between the EAT-Lancet reference diet and existing dietary allowances.
- One such allowance by the Indian Council of Medical Research takes into account only human nutritional requirements, while the EAT-Lancet diet also figures environmental footprints of several food items.
- Indian policymakers need to increase efforts to make sustainable and healthy diets more accessible and affordable.
SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | EAT-Lancet Commission Report | UPSC
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