Nutritionist favours improved nutrition as thrust of child health promotion
A NUTRITIONIST has stressed the need for more awareness on the importance of good nutrition in children’s diet as part of steps to reduce the spate of nutritional problems in the country. Noting this during the 2008 Peak Nutrition Media competition award ceremony, with a lecture entitled: Improving Nutrition, Body, and Mind performance in Nigeria, Dr. Babatunde Oguntona of the Department of Nutrition, University of Agriculture Abeokuta who noted the importance of Vitamin A, Iron, protein in diets said even though they are needed in small quantities, lack of them leads to serious nutritional problems.
Oguntona who regretted that people do not know that they are anaemic or have such nutrition problems said more than 64,000 women are lost every year to anaemia due to inadequate intakes of iron.
Listing nutritional problems such as Energy and protein deference, Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) Iron deficiency Anaemia (IDA) and Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD), he disclosed that Iodine deficiency reduces a child’s IQ.
Giving insight on strategies for improving nutrition, he listed among other things to do including supplementa-tion, food fortification, dietary diversification, which should be homestead gardening, education and disease control amongst others.
He warned that consistent malaria episode can lead to anaemia because it reduces the blood adding that measles, diarrhoea are critical diseases that can lead to anaemiaHe said there is need for greater awareness of malnutrition in general and in particular, by [policy makers private sector and the media.
He charged private sector to take corporate social responsibility seriously by ensuring voluntary fortification of their relevant food products, imbibe the habit of self monitoring, food labeling and quality control. Oguntona further challenged media practitioners to be accurately educated on nutrition issues and seek to become nutrition advocates by bringing the issues to the forefront.
The high point of the lecture was rewarding some members of the media who excelled in this year’s competition. Among the winners are Chukwuma Muanya of the Guardian who won first position and two other 3rd positions in other categories. Yinka Sokunbi of the Daily Independent came 2nd position in the Business and Social responsibility category, with her report, A People’s Hope for Nutrition Security amongst others.
A NUTRITIONIST has stressed the need for more awareness on the importance of good nutrition in children’s diet as part of steps to reduce the spate of nutritional problems in the country. Noting this during the 2008 Peak Nutrition Media competition award ceremony, with a lecture entitled: Improving Nutrition, Body, and Mind performance in Nigeria, Dr. Babatunde Oguntona of the Department of Nutrition, University of Agriculture Abeokuta who noted the importance of Vitamin A, Iron, protein in diets said even though they are needed in small quantities, lack of them leads to serious nutritional problems.
Oguntona who regretted that people do not know that they are anaemic or have such nutrition problems said more than 64,000 women are lost every year to anaemia due to inadequate intakes of iron.
Listing nutritional problems such as Energy and protein deference, Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) Iron deficiency Anaemia (IDA) and Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD), he disclosed that Iodine deficiency reduces a child’s IQ.
Giving insight on strategies for improving nutrition, he listed among other things to do including supplementa-tion, food fortification, dietary diversification, which should be homestead gardening, education and disease control amongst others.
He warned that consistent malaria episode can lead to anaemia because it reduces the blood adding that measles, diarrhoea are critical diseases that can lead to anaemiaHe said there is need for greater awareness of malnutrition in general and in particular, by [policy makers private sector and the media.
He charged private sector to take corporate social responsibility seriously by ensuring voluntary fortification of their relevant food products, imbibe the habit of self monitoring, food labeling and quality control. Oguntona further challenged media practitioners to be accurately educated on nutrition issues and seek to become nutrition advocates by bringing the issues to the forefront.
The high point of the lecture was rewarding some members of the media who excelled in this year’s competition. Among the winners are Chukwuma Muanya of the Guardian who won first position and two other 3rd positions in other categories. Yinka Sokunbi of the Daily Independent came 2nd position in the Business and Social responsibility category, with her report, A People’s Hope for Nutrition Security amongst others.
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