According to a study by the National Institute of Nutrituion, about 50 percent of healthy looking school children aged between six and 16 years suffer from 'hidden hunger' or micronutrient dificiency.
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The World Health Organisation calls the nutrients as micronutrients because they are needed only in minuscule amounts (100mg per day), but these enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances essential for proper growth and development. These include dietary substances like iron, cobalt, cholin, carnitine, copper, iodine, zinc, etc.,
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Consulting paediatrician, Dr. Krian Krishnamurthi feels there's no doubt that changing lifstyle have taken a toll on the diet. "Diets, especially of children, tend to be, high in carbs, refined flour and refined sugar in the form of pasta, pizzas and noodles. They are easily available, highly marketed and advertised, convenient to make besides being tempting. Because of this, and not to mention parental ignorance, children's hunger tends to be satiated with unhealthy calories. This puts fruits and vegetables (the chief source of micronutrients) very low on the priority list," she says.
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T. Raghubani, chief dietician of Mediciti Hospital points out the subtle symptoms and adverse effects of hidden hunger, which may be quite dangerous in later life. "The child may be somewhat lethargic, lack adequate concentration, shy away from sports or extra curricular activities. This inadequate mental growth is due to the deficiency of micronutrients cholin and carnitine. The child may not reach the optimum weight and height corresponding to his or her age, may be anaemic, have a relatively low appetite, develop breathing difficulty due to low haemoglobin count, dip in immunity level and will be easily prone to infection.:
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A balanced diet right from infancy, healthy, energising drinks, giving fast food to the kids as a treat once a week and not daily as a meal are some of the ways to prevent micronutrient deficiency. Mother of two children Kanchan Rajgor says, "I find working parents hardly have time to make wholesome nutritious tiffin for their children. So, most of the times, they opt for easy to cook, instant food. Also, children have a tendency to eat junk food like pizzas, burgers and noodles, which taste good but lack nutritional value. Therefore, I give my kids healthy homemade food that appeals to their taste buds too."
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Dr. Krishnamurthi concludes, "Parents should ensure that the shopping bag looks colourful with all the different coloured fruits and vegetables. Include red, yellow, orange, green and white fruits and vegetables in their diet as much as possible. Also, give your child a wholesome tiffin comprising vegetables Paratha, roti and sabji, or whole wheat bread sandwich."
