This document discusses malnutrition in India and proposes concepts to address it. It notes that malnutrition manifests as both undernutrition and overnutrition. It identifies key causes as lack of awareness, economic differences, lack of preventative healthcare, and traditional diets/cooking. The document proposes several concepts like linking schools and health centers to monitor students, implementing school health services, encouraging families to ensure mothers and fathers receive proper nutrition screening and supplements, and providing supplements to elderly family members. It emphasizes raising awareness at the family level and integrating people in solving the problem for nutritional programs to be successful.

1. MALNUTRITION
Facts to be known & Ideas for
finding solutions
TEAM : Dr.Raghu Ram 4 Nation
www.longliveindia.org

2. MAL NUTRITION :
MALNUTRITION is a broder concept than what some one feels like ‘Underweight’ . In
Indian context there are changing trends which appears a bit typical ,even
overnutrition/obesity is on hike. Various National and international Organisations and
surveys are revealing alarming reports the problem of “ MAL NUTRITION ”.
Various Variants to be considered :
Under nutrition : Protein Energy Malnutrition .
Vitamin Deficiencies .
Micro Nutrition Deficiency .
Over Nutrition : Obesity
Many National & International , Private & Govt surveys are frequently alarming about
the intensity of Mal nutrition in India. In this concept generally there are bias for
undernutrition and child malnutrition . But infact Malnutrition is making a bad impact on
health and well being of both the males and females of all the age groups .
CAUSES :
1 ) The first reason would certainly be – ‘Lack of awareness’ about the Nutritional
Concepts or even at least about the various Govt schemes for fighting Mal nutrition .
2) Wide differences in the economic levels of the people – Both under nutrition and
over nutrition are on raise .
3) Not giving importance to Preventive Health Care in our Health system .
4) Traditional and unique diet patterns , food fabs , wrong cooking patterns .
5 ) No or Poor school Health Services .

3. OUR CONCEPTS
TO FIGHT MALNUTRITION :
Concept “ SROUSTA”
Concept “ For Your Mom”
Concept “ For your Dad”
Concept “ Healthy School”
Concept “Grand Health”
Concept SROUSTA :
Many school going children in India are
suffering from Vitamin deficiencies , reduced
Protein / calorie intake , Micro nutrition
deficiencies . By linking all the Government
schools with a Primary Health Centre and ICDS
Centre , we should make sure that children
health is periodically assessed by Medical
officer . The children who are having the
problem / prone to have can be identified and
can be given free Vitamin / Tablets in school by
PHC pharmacist as per the Doctors advice .
Children who are having Protien / calorie can
get ‘Protien powders’ available for free of cost
in ICDS centre .
HEALTHY SCHOOL :
HAVING A SCHOOL PHYSICIAN should be made
mandatory for registration of any private
schools or colleges . Child Health & adolescent
Health services should be initiated in all the
schools . By this we can take care of both the
sides of Mal nutrition also with other child
health problems .
Concept FOR YOUR MOM :
As per our observation almost 70 –
80 % of menstruating women are
anemic , because of which they are
loosing quality of life and even span of
life as ageing fastens in anemic patients
. If all the high school and college
students see that their mothers and
other women in their family are not
anemic , Then surely its like gifting them
atleast 2 years of life .
. (cont : Next slide )

4. What should be done : 1 ) Check Anemic status of Mom 2 ) Generally it is Iron
Deficiency Anemia in India . But get confirmed . (3) Bring her the prescribed tablets from
any near by Govt Hospital (4) Observe that she is taking the tablets .
One should see that their mother is taking supplementary food is was known to be anemic
or under nourished .
FOR YOUR DAD :
This is to take care of the Nutrition and
over all health of your Father . If Ones
father is obese , they are advised to take
him once for a cardiac/health check up . As
obesity coexists with CAD’s many a times ,
You should be cautious Heart attack is one
of the major causes of death in Indian
Men.
GRAND HEALTH :
Every family should take of nutritional
needs the elderly ones among them . As
older ones are more prone to fractures ,
they should be given calcium tablets as
supplements . Also other food supplements
and Medical supplements should be
provided by the govt at a subsidy costs .
HOW CAN WE IMPLEMENT THESE IDEAS :
Already there are many Nutritional programmes from the side of the
state and central governments . They are more concentrated for the children
and women . Many International Organisations are also working on this aspect .
But we can say that there are no fruitfull results in spite of all the efforts.

5. The major issue here that is leading to failure of all these schemes is that
–“ People are not aware of all the Concept Malnutrition” and they are not
integrated in fighting the problem .
And one more important thing here was a blunder misconception about
MALNUTRION even among the health authorities . Nutritional aspects of
elderly , men , over nutrition , micro nutrient deficiencies are grossly
neglected .
The above mentioned concepts ‘FOR YOUR DAD’ , ‘FOR YOUR MOTHER’ ,
‘GRAND HEALTH’ concentrates by motivating the people to care of their
beloved ones by making them aware of the consequences of Chronic Mal
nutrition . This can be done by the govt with help from student unions and the
voluntary organisations .
Government can pass orders regarding School Health Care for Private
educational institutions ,for employee nutritional care for OFFICES
,INDUSTRIES and design programmes by linking govt hospitals and govt
educational institutions.

6. CONCEPT ‘SHAKTHI MAAN NUTRI SHAKE’ :
A milk shake formulated by one among us to find the solution for under nutrition and
vitamin deficiencies in all the age groups , particularly children .
Milk powder , Ice cream powder , Soya powder , sugar , flavour with added minerals
can be made available at a very low cost . A 25 grms sample sachet can be given at
Rs.3 – Rs.4 .(Low cost than a cup of milk/tea) Any Charitable trusts can come forward
to support this on no profit basis . If govt can supply the same or similar product at a
subsidized price , then hopefully there can be a change added with proper awareness
.
We cannot say that its a easy task – We cant say that our
are better thoughts than the Worlds biggest Nutritional
Programme “ICDS” in India . But here the way of approach and
impact on people matters . Its without their involvement - even
1000’s crores and complex programmes will be a failure .
Awareness and change from family level added with mass
evaluation and treatment is the underline theme in our
concepts . Hope they can make the thing simplified and
successful .