Lok Sabha Question No. 2896 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-03
Subject: Undernutrition and Obesity
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: RAMDAS CHANDRABHANJI TADAS, CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI, NARANBHAI KACHHADIA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2896 TO BE ANSWERED ON 3 rd AUGUST, 2018

## UNDERNUTRITION AND O BESITY

## 2896. SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS: SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI: SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is fact that India is facing double trouble of undernutrition and besity, if so, the details thereof;

(b)  whether  scheduled  tribes children are  the  worst  affected  with  undernutrition while  urban children are facing obesity, if so, the details thereof;

- (c) whether the Government has formulated any plan to solve the problem; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)& ( b) : As per National Family Health Survey (NFHS) - 4 (2015 - 16), the prevalence of stunting,  wasting  and  under - weight  amongst  tribal  children  are  43.8%,  27.4%  and  45.3% respectively.

The proportion of over -w ight among urban children is higher than that of rural childre as 2.8% of urban children are over - weight as compared to 1.8% of rural children.

( c)&

- ( d) : Yes.
- Ministry  of  Health  &  Family  Welfare  (MoHFW)  has implemented  various  cost  effective interventions for combating wide spread malnutrition among children which are as follow
- o Intensified  Breastfeeding  Promotion  under  Mother's  Absolute  Affection  Programme (MAA), which aims at improving breastfeeding cover age and appropriate breastfeeding practices in the country.
- o Treatment of sick children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) at special units c the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs), set up at public health facilities.
- o Vitamin A supplementati on (VAS) for children till the age of 5 years .
- o National  Iron  Plus  Initiative  (NIPI)'  for  supplementation  and  treatment  of  anaemia  in children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, in programme mode through li cycle approach.
- o Bi- annual National De - worming Days are held across the country following a fixed day strategy to administer Albendazole tablets to all the children in the age group - 19 years through the platform of AWCs and Schools.
- o Information  on  health  and  hygiene  is  provided  to  ou t  of  school  girls  under  Rasthriya Kishore Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) through peer education programme.
- o Village Health and Nutrition Days and Mother and Child Protection Card are the joint initiative of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and the Minist ry of Woman and Child Development for addressing the nutrition concerns in children, pregnant wom and lactating mothers.
- o Food  Safety  and  Standard  Authority  of  India  under  Ministry  of  Health  and  Fami Welfare  have  launched  'The  Eat  Right  Movement',  whi ch  aims  to  reduce  obesity  by addressing the  risk factors such as excessive consumption of foods with high salt and fat content.
- o A booklet called 'The Yellow Book' on healthy eating for school children has been sent to the States for distribution among students in schools.
- The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  development  is  implementing  several  schemes  and programs like Anganwadi Services under the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme Scheme for Adolescent  Girls and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandan a Yojna as direct targeted interventions  to  address  the  problem  of  malnutrition  in  the  country.  Recently,  POS Abhiyaan has been implemented in the country which is an overarching scheme for holis nourishment  by  bringing  synergy  and  convergence  especi ally  among  Nutrition,  Health  and sanitation centric schemes/ programme.

Besides,  Food  and  Nutrition  Board  (FNB)  of  the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child Development with its 43 field units in India is engaged in creating awareness on nutri collaborat ion with State Government / institutions through exhibitions; advertisement in a -visual and print media; lectures promoting the consumption of balanced diets and inclus fruits and vegetables in daily diets in addition to demonstrations of low cos t nutritious recipes using locally available foods; training of field functionaries and training in food prese grassroots level workers; celebration of nutrition related events, etc.