National Nutrition Day marked on September 1 every year, with Poshan Saptah observed alongside
National Nutrition Day is observed across the country on September 1 every year. Poshan Saptah, or Nutrition Week, is also observed along with it, with various health campaigns and awareness programmes held across the country.
The reason given for observing the day is that, in today's hectic life, a changing lifestyle, the growing popularity of junk food and haphazard eating habits have led to many serious illnesses appearing in households everywhere. The day is observed every year to improve matters and to help people understand the importance of what they eat.
Proper nutrition does not mean merely filling the stomach. It means the body gets the necessary proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fats in the right quantity. The message of National Nutrition Day says that when the body receives all these nutrients regularly, only then does physical growth progress properly and the body's strength to fight disease build up. The same message links nutrition to mental health as well, saying that a proper diet helps reduce stress and improve concentration.
The message of the day also points out that illnesses caused by an unbalanced diet, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and anaemia, or lack of blood, are rising at an alarming rate. Anaemia is found on a large scale among young children and women in particular. According to the message, these illnesses can be tackled if fresh fruit, green leafy vegetables, milk, dairy products, pulses and protein-rich foods are included in daily meals.
On National Nutrition Day, the government, the health department and several voluntary organisations together spread awareness in society. The campaign places special emphasis on three groups: young children, pregnant and lactating mothers, and the elderly. Proper nutrition in early childhood is regarded as the foundation of a child's later intellectual and physical growth. Proper diet for pregnant women is said to help greatly in preventing malnutrition and child deaths.
On this day, health check-up camps, workshops, street plays and lectures by dieticians are organised through schools, colleges, primary health centres and social organisations. At these programmes, people are shown practically how to use nutritious foods available in their own area in their meals.
The overall message of the day is that no expensive supplement or medicine can replace natural food. Fresh, natural and seasonal food available in the kitchen and the local market is described as the real protective shield for health. Avoiding processed and junk food in the daily routine and adopting traditional, nutritious and balanced meals is called the need of the hour. National Nutrition Day is described not as a one-day celebration but as an important step towards building a healthy, empowered and prosperous India.
