Fizz and Fries: Consumption of fried food and aerated drinks varies across states in India
According to data from the National Family and Health Survey (NFHS)-5 conducted in 2019-21, consumption of fried foods and aerated drinks is relatively higher in Goa, several northeastern and eastern states, as compared to the rest of India. According to the survey, more than 22% of men in Goa drink aerated drinks daily, while about 10% of women in Assam do so. In Mizoram, about 83% of women eat fried food on a daily basis, while in Odisha about 38% of men do.
Dietary patterns in these states are of concern as regular consumption of such foods has been linked to chronic diseases. According to the WHO’s Department for the Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, excess sugar intake, including products such as aerated drinks, is a major factor behind obesity. diabetes, In 2016, the retail price of sweetened drinks increased by 20% due to WHO-recommended policies that decreased the consumption of such products.
A Harvard School of Public Health study found that people who ate fried foods at least once a week had a higher risk of developing both type 2 diabetes and heart disease. This risk increased as the frequency of consumption of fried foods increased. In addition, consumption of fried food made with used oil is also a factor in high blood pressure and increased triglyceride levels. A group of conditions such as high blood pressure, high random glucose levels and high triglyceride levels is defined as “metabolic syndrome”. The condition increases the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, stroke, or all three.
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Moreover, the burden of related diseases is already high in India. in 2019, with an estimated 77 million diabetics, India recorded the second largest number of diabetes cases in the world. Between 1990 and 2019, India registered the largest increase in diabetes-related deaths from 78,789 such deaths in 1990 to 2,73,089 deaths in 2019.
chart 1a And 1B Shows state-wise share of daily consumption of aerated drinks among men and women in 2019-21 as against the change in the share in 2015-16, respectively. For example, 7.9% of men in Meghalaya consume aerated drinks daily, an increase of 6.5 percentage points from 2015-16 – the largest increase among all states. Among females, the share of daily aerated drink drinkers in Assam was 9.7%, an increase of 3.6 percentage points from 2015-16. Notably, in addition to Goa and some northeastern states, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir also had a higher share of men and women consuming aerated drinks daily.
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chart 2a And 2 b Shows state-wise share of daily consumption of fried food among men and women in 2019-21 as against the change in share in 2015-16. Mizoram topped the list among both men and women. In 2019-21, 78.6% of men in Mizoram consumed fried food daily, compared to 89.5% in 2015-16. Among women in the state, 82.9% of them ate fried food, a decrease of 3.8 percentage points from 2015-16.
A relatively higher proportion of men in Goa and women in Assam consumed both aerated drinks and fried food daily, a combination that further increased the risk of chronic diseases. While some states have higher daily consumption levels, in general in many states, the levels have come down in 2019-21 as compared to 2015-16. Among men, consumption of aerated drinks declined in 18 out of 29 states, while among women it declined in 14 states. Among men, daily consumption of fried foods declined in 17 out of 29 states, while among women it decreased in 18 states.
rebecca.varghese@thehindu.co.in and vignesh.r@thehindu.co.in
Source: National Family and Health Survey (NFHS)-4, NFHS-5
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