NEW DELHI: While physical inactivity, junk food and other factors have drawn a lot of attention for their role in causing lifestyle disorders, and rightly so, edible oil has mostly escaped scrutiny. PM Modi, in his address at the 38th National Games opening ceremony, focused on it and called its excessive use a key factor for rising obesity, while urging for reduced oil intake in all households.
Excess consumption of cooking oil, he said, was a key factor behind the rising incidence of obesity. “Every age group of the country, and even the youth, are being badly affected by it. And this is also a matter of concern because obesity increases the risk of diseases like diabetes, heart disease,” the PM said.
PM Modi appealed to people to reduce oil intake, in addition to working out daily and focusing on a balanced and nutritious diet, leading many to wonder if it was a precursor to a plan focused on tackling obesity by, among other things, discouraging high consumption of edible oil.
“In our homes, ration comes at the beginning of the month. Till now, if you used to bring home two litres of cooking oil every month, then reduce it by at least 10%. Reduce the amount of oil we use every day by 10%,” Modi said.
He is not alone in sounding the alarm. According to Dr Vineet Kumar Surana, consultant diabetes and endocrinology at Manipal Hospital-Dwarka, when you add excess oil in cooking, it can add hidden calories without causing fullness leading to weight gain and obesity. “One should not consume more than 600-700 ml per month, which translates to approximately 20 ml/day (equivalent to roughly four teaspoons),” he said.
Fortis C-Doc chairperson Dr Anoop Misra said, “Normally, people tend to consume double the recom mended amount of oil or more.” To make matters worse, he added, many people tend to reuse oil which is dangerous. “Re-using oil for frying food items leads to an increase in trans-fats that are known to increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke among others,” he said.
Apart from quantity, the quality of oil is equally important. The ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMRNIN), says though mustard oil and groundnut oil are very good for cooking, it is best to use a combination of oils either blended or by rotation. e.g. groundnut oil, soya bean oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil so that one can get the benefit of all. The PM’s call, sources said, suggests the govt is looking to initiate dedicated programmes to tackle and prevent a potential crisis posed by it.
The Economic Survey 2023-24 has warned that unhealthy food and sedentary habits don’t just raise the risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases and certain types of cancer but they also pose a threat to the country’s economic potential.
“For India’s working-age population to be gainfully employed, they need skills and good health. Social media, screen time, sedentary habits and unhealthy food are a lethal mix that can undermine public health and productivity and diminish India’s economic potential,” the survey report said. It adds that the private sector has made substantial contributions to this toxic mix of habits, and that is myopic.
It recommended Indian businesses to embrace traditional lifestyle, food and recipes. These have shown how to live healthily and in harmony with nature and the environment for centuries. It makes commercial sense for Indian businesses to learn about and embrace them, for they have a global market waiting to be led rather than tapped, the report said.