National Nutrition Week 2020 (NNW 2020 )

National Nutrition Week is observed throughout the country from 1 to 7 September every year. It is an
annual nutrition event initiated by Food and Nutrition Board, Ministry of Women and Child Development and
Government of India. The main objective to celebrate nutrition week is to raise awareness on the importance
of nutrition for health which has an impact on development, productivity, economic growth and ultimately
National development.
History of NNW:
 National Nutrition Week was initiated in March 1973 by the members of the American Dietetic Association
(now the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics).
 In the year 1982 National Nutrition week celebration was started by the Central Government in India.
 The campaign was started to spread awareness and encourage the people as a society to understand the
importance of nutrition and adopt a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.
 Malnutrition is one of the main hurdles in the overall development of the country which makes it necessary
to overcome it and to curb it National Nutrition Week is celebrated.
 
Facts : Healthy Diet:
• A healthy diet helps to protect against malnutrition in all its forms, as well as noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as
diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. 
• Unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity are leading global risks to health. 
• Healthy dietary practices start early in life – breastfeeding fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive
development, and may have longer term health benefits such as reducing the risk of becoming overweight or
obese and developing NCDs later in life. 
• Energy intake (calories) should be in balance with energy expenditure. To avoid unhealthy weight gain, total
fat should not exceed 30% of total energy intake.
• Limiting intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake is part of a healthy diet.
• Keeping salt intake to less than 5 g per day (equivalent to sodium intake of less than 2 g per day) helps to
prevent hypertension, and reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke in the adult population. 
• WHO Member States have agreed to reduce the global population’s intake of salt by 30% by 2025; they have
also agreed to halt the rise in diabetes and obesity in adults and adolescents as well as in childhood over-
weight by 2025 .
• Consuming a healthy diet throughout the life-course helps to prevent malnutrition in all its forms as well as a
range of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and conditions. However, increased production of processed
foods, rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles have led to a shift in dietary patterns. People are now
consuming more foods high in energy, fats, free sugars and salt/sodium, and many people do not eat enough
fruit, vegetables and other dietary fibre such as whole grains. 
Six global nutrition targets aimed to be achieved by 2025:
1.To achieve a 40% reduction in the number 1 of children under-5 who are stunted
2.To achieve a 50% reduction of anaemia in women of reproductive age
3.To achieve a 30% reduction in low birth weight
4.To ensure that there is no increase in childhood 4 overweight
5.To increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months up to at least 50%
6.To reduce and maintain childhood wasting to less than 5%
 
5 Keys to Healthy Diet:
1. BREASTFEED BABIES AND YOUNG CHILDREN
From birth to 6 months of age, feed babies exclusively with breast milk (i.e. give them no other food or drink), and feed them “on
demand” (i.e. as often as they want, day and night)
At 6 months of age, introduce a variety of safe and nutritious foods to complement breastfeeding, and continue to breastfeed until
babies are 2 years of age or beyond
Do not add salt or sugars to foods for babies and young children

2. EAT A VARIETY OF FOODS

• Eat a combination of different foods, including staple foods (e.g. cereals such as wheat, barley, rye, maize and rice;
or starchy tubers or roots such as potato, yam, taro and cassava), legumes (e.g. lentils and beans), vegetables, fruit
and foods from animal sources (e.g. meat, fish, eggs and meat).
3. EAT PLENTY OF VEGETABLES AND FRUIT
• Eat a wide variety of vegetables and fruit
• For snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh fruit, rather than foods that are high in sugars, fats or salt
• Avoid overcooking vegetables and fruit because this can lead to the loss of important vitamins
• When using canned or dried vegetables and fruits, choose varieties without added salt and sugars.
4. EAT MODERATE AMOUNTS OF FATS AND OILS
• Use unsaturated vegetable oils (e.g. olive, soy, sunflower or corn oil) rather than animal fats or oils high in saturated
fats (e.g. butter, ghee, lard, coconut and palm oil)
• Choose white meat (e.g. poultry) and fish, which are generally low in fats, in preference to red meat
• Eat only limited amounts of processed meats because these are high in fat and salt
• Where possible, opt for low-fat or reduced-fat versions of milk and dairy products
• Avoid processed, baked and fried foods that contain industrially produced trans-fat.
5. EAT LESS SALT AND SUGARS
• When cooking and preparing foods, limit the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce and fish
sauce)
• Avoid foods (e.g. snacks), that are high in salt and sugars
• Limit intake of soft drinks or soda and other drinks that are high in sugars (e.g. fruit juices, cordials and syrups,
flavoured milks and yogurt drinks)
• Choose fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate.
Other Efforts For Fighting Nutrition Deficiency
To curb the problem, the Government of India launched the-
1.Integrated Child Development Service Programme
2.Special Nutrition Programme
3.Wheat Based Supplementary Nutrition Programme
4.Mid-day Meal Scheme etc.