National Nutrition Week at AMU
Aligarh : Residents of the Chota Jawan village, a field practice area under the Rural Health Training Centre, Department of Community Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) were on Tuesday apprised about the importance of nutrition and motivated to take adequate measures for eradicating hunger and malnourishment by AMU faculty members and doctors in the ‘National Nutrition Week’ observations.
In the Poshan Mela (Nutrition Fair) at the village, the resource person, Dr Maryam Fatima, (Department of Home Science) provided insights on proper nutrition for children, adolescents and adults and encouraged people to take balanced diets with the necessary carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
“Adequate nutrition, a fundamental cornerstone of any individual’s health, is especially critical for women because inadequate nutrition wreaks havoc not only on women’s own health but also on the health of their children,” she said.
Dr Maryam pointed out that at specific points in life, some vitamins and minerals become very significant and, thus, women must be mindful of including these essential nutrients in their diet.
She informed the villagers about different symptoms due to deficiencies from various vitamins, and discussed the importance of micronutrients, minerals and vitamins in body growth and development of immunity.
“The special guests Prof Naima Khatoon (Principal, Women’s College), Prof Zulfia Khan, Prof M Athar Ansari, Dr Uzma Eram, Dr Tabassum Nawab and Dr Sameena Ahmad encouraged the villagers to consume the right amount of good quality protein with whole grains and to remain hydrated for healthy life”, said Prof Saira Mehnaz (Chairperson, Department of Community Medicine).
She added: The event concluded with a special interaction of the participants with the faculty members.
Meanwhile at the Department of Home Science, students participated in poster-making and paragraph-writing contests on the theme, ‘Eat Healthy Meal to Help Your Body Heal’ to observe the National Nutrition Week.
“The competitions were held to raise awareness among people about the value of healthy eating practices and proper nutrition for upholding a healthy lifestyle”, said Prof Farzana Alim (Chairperson, Department of Home Science).
Dr Mariyam Fatima conducted the programme.