E-Paper
Nutrition truth matters more than ever
This article is authored by Dia Mirza.
Open any social media platform today, and you will swim in a sea of nutrition advice. Eat this to reverse aging. Avoid that or risk cancer. Try this for instant weight loss. From miracle superfoods to fear-stoking warnings, the constant noise creates more confusion than clarity.
As someone who has personally navigated this noise, I worry about its impact on our health. In an age where misinformation spreads faster than fact, the ability to separate evidence from myth is not just important—it is lifesaving.
During my pregnancy, I was overwhelmed by advice from every direction. Don’t eat this fruit. Avoid those vegetables. Restrict yourself constantly. The anxiety was relentless—until my doctor’s words offered clarity: “Pregnancy is not a disease. Focus on balanced food and trust science over myths.”
That simple guidance revealed how much unnecessary fear surrounds food, especially for women. If I, with access to quality health care, could feel so conflicted, how much more daunting must it be for families without these resources?
The truth is stark: In most Indian households, women eat last, and often the least. Millions of women daily prioritise everyone else’s plate before their own. This silent, systemic sacrifice takes a devastating toll.
Poor nutrition among women contributes to complications during pregnancy and childbirth, impaired immunity, and long-term health risks. The consequences ripple outward—when a woman is undernourished, her entire family feels the impact.
This reality is mirrored in our adolescent population. India is home to 253 million adolescents—the largest in the world. Yet more than 59% of teenage girls are anaemic. This statistic reflects generations of nutritional neglect, limiting their energy to learn, grow, and lead fulfilling lives.
We must challenge the narrative that glorifies women’s dietary sacrifice. There is nothing admirable about a mother being too exhausted to care for her children because she skipped a meal. What is commendable is recognising that a nourished woman is the foundation of a healthy family and a stronger society.
Science is precise: Pregnant women, for instance, require additional protein, iron, folate, and calcium. Yet instead of ensuring these needs are met, we weigh them with myths and restrictions. In doing so, we put both mothers and children at risk.
So how do we move forward?
- Question before you consume (or share) advice. Ask: Who is the source? Is this evidence-based? Does it inform or scare?
- Normalise women's prioritising of nutrition. A mother who eats well is not selfish; she is safeguarding her family’s well-being.
- Build nutrition literacy. Families and communities must understand that balance and inclusivity—not sensational fads—matter.
Children absorb what they see. When they witness women consistently putting their health first, they learn that self-care is not indulgence, but responsibility.
Recognising the urgency of nutrition, the Government of India launched Poshan Abhiyan in 2018, placing nutrition at the centre of national development. The mission focuses on children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers, using technology and community-driven solutions to fight malnutrition.
This September- October, as we marked POSHAN Month, it is worth reminding ourselves that nutrition is not just a health issue but a human rights issue. Women’s right to nourishment must be acknowledged as central to building healthier families and a stronger nation.
Nutrition must move beyond trends and hashtags. It must be understood as the basis of human resilience—physical, emotional, and social. For too long, women have silently borne the cost of nutritional neglect. It is time to replace myths with science, sacrifice with balance, and guilt with empowerment.
Because when women are nourished, families flourish, communities grow stronger, and nations progress.
The way forward lies in balance, inclusivity, and evidence—not in noise but in truth.
This article is authored by Dia Mirza, actor, producer, United Nations Environment Program Goodwill Ambassador, and UN Secretary-General’s Advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals.
