MALNUTRITION: Sri Lanka: excessive consumption of wheat flour is one of the reasons for the alarming increase in malnutrition

 2011-07-04  A.A.M.Nizam in Sri Lanka

Colombo,  (Asiantribune.com): A study conducted by the Medical Research Institutde of the Ministry of Health has found that malnutrition and anemia are spreading fast in Sri Lanka.
Colombo is one of the most affected districts. The study points out that long term malnutrition in the capital is at 29% and short-term is 8%. It has pointed that in particular, this is due to the reason that children of school age do not consume nutritious and healthy meals on a daily basis,
The study has pointed out that the excessive consumption of wheat flour is one of the reasons for the alarming increase in malnutrition in the districts of Colombo and Nuwara Eliya.
Based on this study, the Minister of Health Mr. Maithripala Sirisena has emphasized the importance of a change in the Sri Lankan way of eating." The Minister says that in many cases parents force young children to eat foods made from wheat flour, particularly at breakfast, which is the most important meal of their daily diet. He points out that these wheat flour based food deprives them of nutrients and other healthy foods such as rice, beans, and green mung and eye beans, rich in protein
The study also indicates that women spend a "considerable" sum of their salaries in beauty products. "This is particularly disappointing and alarming, because people who earn as little as Sri Lankans cannot afford to squander money in certain things, taking funds from the family budget, for beauty products instead of using them in healthy food rich in protein”.
http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2011/07/04/wheat-flour-based-food-are-reported-be-spreading-malnutrition-and-anemia-sri-lanka