FAISALABAD City News

Nutrition Mela begins at UAF

Call to make plans to improve nutrition state

From Our Correspondent

FAISALABAD: A two-day Nutrition Mela was started at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, here on Wednesday.

Various events, including food street, healthy and nutrition lounge, seminar on nutrition, diagnosis clinics about healthy life and Ghazal evening were the part of the event. The event organised at the National Institute of Food Sciences and Technology, UAF, was inaugurated by UAF Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan. It remained center of attraction for the locals where people from all corners of the city thronged to have the delight of this Nutrition Mela. The festival was aimed at sensitising the public about the hygienic food and healthy lifestyle. The salient feature of the festival was healthy and nutrition lounge where the health experts had established their stalls and provided suggestions and examining visitors regarding nutrition. A seminar on the role of nutrition was also a part of the festival, which was chaired by UAF Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan. The VC said that it was a matter of grave concern that half of population fall victim to malnutrition in the country whereas 58 per cent population was food insecure. He called for comprehensive plans to improve the state of nutrition among children and women. He stressed upon the need for food fortification to address the issue of food security. He said that the UAF had launched the BS programme in Human Nutrition and Dietetics in order to prepare the trained man force. He said that the UAF was the only institution in the country which was ranked in the top 100 universities of the world. He said that changes in the lifestyle were aggravating the issue. He said that wheat flour mixed with maize may be promoted to address the issue of malnutrition. Faculty of Food Sciences Dean Prof Dr Masood Sadiq Butt said that 50.4 per cent women were anemic, 41.3 per cent had vitamin A deficiency and 66.8 per cent had vitamin D deficiency. He said that his faculty was committed to take every step to address the issue of food nutrition. Prof Dr Noreen Bilal from the PMC called for doing exercise and walk in the routine life. Korean experts Seo Jung Oak, Lee Jae-Ho, Dr Ansar from Australia and Dr Amir Shahzad also spoke.