Ludhiana, June 21
CMC has always played an important role in creating awareness amongst masses on important health topics. In continuation of this series of educating the public, the Department of Dietetics, CMCH, organised a diet exhibition here today.

The diet display highlighted on the hazards of food intake, obesity and its related problems, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, renal disease, nutritious snacks for school going children, pregnant women etc.

Giving details about the exhibition, Dr Molly Joshi, Professor and Chief Dietician, CMCH, said a large number of persons visited the exhibition and admired it. The group which attended the exhibition included patients, dieticians and students of various age groups. The visitors came here for different purposes, some wanted to know about the diet precautions pertaining to particular disease, there were young girls who had the query about the diet pattern for maintaining the perfect figure. She added that this exhibition would be beneficial to the patients, public, students and all those who were involved in patient care and for general awareness of healthy eating.

It was vital to educate the common man regarding dietary intervention to suit various physical conditions. Diet played a much wider and pervasive role in health and disease. Good diet was necessary not just for ensuring normal growth, development and maintenance but also for the promotion of resistance to disease, for retardation of aging, ensuring mental well-being and for protection against environmental toxins.

Dr Molly Joshi further added that the type of food consumed by an individual played an important role in development of body and mind. ‘‘Our body reflects the quality and quantity of food consumed and physical activity we undertake, when we are unwell modifications are done on a routine diet to suit the physical condition and faster recovery. In order to impart knowledge on this to the public, steps such as diet displays, diet exhibitions, diet counseling is done periodically’’, said Dr Joshi.

CMC dieticians will be explaining on diets for various conditions to people visiting the exhibition venue. Dieticians will record Height, Weight, BMI and body fat at the medical OPD. Those who need special diet counselling, will be given appointments for detailed consultations.

Ludhiana, June 21
The Health Department has stepped up its drive to check adulteration in foodstuff and maintain desirable level of cleanliness in the eating joints in the district. As a part of the ongoing campaign, samples of milk products, edible oils, aerated water, bakery products and other eatables from dhabas and restaurants were taken by teams of health officials from different parts of the city and other towns.

According to Civil Surgeon, Dr S.P. Sharma, five samples of milk, ghee and cheese, taken from dairy units on Tajpur Road and Islam Ganj were found sub-standard and criminal complaints under Section 16 of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 had been lodged against the defaulters in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate here. Three more cases would be filed soon. He informed that the dairy, manufacturing spurious desi ghee in Haibowal Kalan locality in the city, which was unearthed in a raid conducted by health officials and the police, was also found to be adulterating the ghee with vanaspati. On the basis of the report received from government analyst, a complaint under the PFA Act was being filed in the court.

Meanwhile, teams of health officials, led by Dr Avtar Krishan and food inspectors Mr Manoj Khosla and Mr Ravinder Garg inspected a number of eating joints in Jagjit Nagar, Pakhowal Road, Shastri Nagar, Gobind Nagar, Rajpura Road and Ferozepore Road here.

According to Dr Sharma, the owners of all eateries had been directed to maintain quality of food, as also to pay special attention to levels of hygiene in their kitchens. They had been asked to get their staff medically examined against skin and other infections, get the premises white washed, ensure that good quality material, ingredients and permitted food grade colours were used for preparation and eatables were properly stored. At some places, the owners were instructed to install fly catchers and exhaust fans.