Nutrition and changing food environment of Delhi

New Delhi: A group of experts, researchers and government representatives discussed the double burden of malnutrition and changing food environment in the capital in a three-day conference, with an aim to connect evidence regarding the prevalence of both “under nutrition” and “over nutrition”. 

The conference on “Critical Public Health Consequences of the Double Burden of Malnutrition and the Changing Food Environment in South and South East Asia” that as concluded on Friday urged the governments across the world to broaden the purview of their nutrition policy so that they addresses immediate as well as basic causes of malnutrition.

The conference aimed to connect evidence regarding the prevalence of both “under nutrition” as well as “over-nutrition” as well as the associations between nutrition and disease, policy and programme responses. 

Dr Arun Gupta, regional coordinator, International Baby Food Action Network- Asia, said, “We need closer co-ordination between other social movements working on land, forests, water, women's rights, trade unions, informal workers to extend the reach of the discourse on the right to food and nutrition.” 

“Eradication of malnutrition is a concern of different countries across the world,” he added. 

The conference looked at catalysing civil society action to support community-based efforts in order to reshape the food and nutrition policy landscape.

It also asked to focus on women’s social, economic and biological roles to be recognised as central to food and nutrition security and that the nutrition policies have to empower women in a bid to retain and strengthen their control over resources and food environment. 

The conference also pointed out that addressing gender discrimination in food, education, mobility, access to resources and bodily integrity is critical to sustainable nutritional security.