GUWAHATI: Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, on Tuesday, April 8, raised concerns over the increasing issue of over-nutrition and obesity among Indian children, attributing it to the growing intake of oily and non-nutritive food.
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She said this while speaking at the inaugural event of the seventh edition of Poshan Pakhwada, a two-week national nutrition awareness campaign.
According to reports, Thakur emphasised that malnutrition is no longer confined to undernutrition, as the country now also faces the growing burden of over-nutrition. “Children today consume a lot of oily food, which not only increases their weight but also leads to several diseases,” the minister reportedly said.
Calling for greater focus on behavioural change through community participation, Thakur further spoke about building a “health-focused environment” to ensure that no child goes hungry and every mother receives adequate nutrition. “This is a significant step in fulfilling our commitment to a 'Suposhit Bharat',” she added.
The 2025 Poshan Pakhwada will focus on four key themes—nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life, community-based management of malnutrition, promotion of healthy lifestyles to combat childhood obesity, and increased usage of digital tools for tracking progress.
