No improvement in our diets
No one can deny the fact that, as a nation, we are not health conscious. Our eating habits should seriously be reconsidered by including healthy food items in our diet.
It appears that in the majority of the households in Bangladesh, sources of carbohydrate—rice and potatoes—usually dominate our diet. Our excessive intake of spicy food is also deleterious to health. Vegetables, a source of different nutrients such as potassium, fibre and multiple vitamins, should be consumed more often. Women, especially, need to increase their consumption of iron and calcium as they go through different stages of growth. Menstruation, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause are stages when their nutritional demands should be given utmost priority. Mass awareness campaigns about proper diets should be conducted in the rural areas of Bangladesh where many women suffer from anaemia and iron deficiency.
Despite Bangladesh being a subtropical country and ranking high globally in terms of food production, our low intake of fruits poses great health risks. Our failure to include sufficient whole grain, fruits, nuts and other sources of rich nutrients is the leading cause of diseases.
Sami Un Naby, Bangladesh Agricultural University
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