Globally the nutrition week is celebrated in the first week of September with an over-arching theme. The theme for National Nutrition Week 2021 is "Feeding smart right from start". This year’s theme seeks to create awareness of the value of proper nutrition practices from pre-conception.
History of National Nutrition Week
National nutrition week was first observed in March 1975 by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) now known as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. They developed this special week to raise awareness on nutrition issues as well as to promote the profession of Dietitians.
In 1980, Public response to the initiative was so positive that they decided to expand it into a month-long event. Governments around the world, particularly in India, also decided to launch the campaign as the National Nutrition Week to create public awareness on nutrition and encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle.
The Triple Burden of Malnutrition in Kenya.
In light of the emerging triple burden of malnutrition characterized by the coexistence of
Undernutrition manifested through; stunting, wasting, underweight
Micronutrient deficiencies and
Overweight and Obesity and Diet-related non-communicable diseases (DRNCDs).
The Government of Kenya in partnership with various sectors has in place evidence-based strategic interventions guided by the Kenya Nutrition Action plan (KNAP 2018-2022) to provide a framework towards achieving the citizen’s basic human rights according to the Kenyan constitution in line with the Big 4 Agenda, Vision 2030 and global commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the World Health Assembly (WHA) Nutrition Targets.
Benefits of Healthy Eating
With a poor diet, well-being is reduced.
Helps to manage a healthy weight.
Maintains the immune system.
Provide energy.
Delays the effect of Ageing.
Reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
Healthy eating also affects your mood positively.
A healthy diet increases life span.
Also, a healthy diet increases focus.
Referencing a previous blog post on the basics of healthy eating you may find that eating healthy requires smart decisions consistently on a daily basis.
As Francois de la Rochefoucauld would say "To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art." Have a Nutritious Week ahead!!
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