Since a diversified diet that meets all nutritional requirements is difficult to provide,
fortification of food is relied upon many countries to prevent malnutrition. The World
Health Organisation estimates that deficiency of key micro nutrients such as iron, vitamin A
and iodine together effects a third of the world's population; in general, insufficient consumption
of vitamins and minerals remain problematic. Viewed against the nutrition challenge India faces,
processed foods with standards-based fortifications can help advance overall health goals, starting
with maternal health. It is imperative, for a start, to make iron fortified food widely available,
since iron deficiency contributes to 20% of maternal deaths and is associated with nearly half of all
maternal deaths. The shadow of malnutrition extends to the children that women with anaemia
give birth to. They often have low birth weight, pre-term and suffer from poor development
and lower cognitive abilities. Low intake of vitamins, zink and folate also cause a variety of health
issues, particularly when growing children are deprived. Fortification is a low-cost solution. The
benefit is maximised when there is a focus also on adequate intake of oils and fats, which are
necessary for the absorption of micro nutrients and some thing poorer households often miss in their diet.
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Such questions are meant to test your writing skills and should be attempted on your own. However, these points might help you elaborate:
- Give a title to the notes after reading the given passage carefully. The main theme becomes the heading: Fortification of food!
- Then, give sub-headings depending upon the less important topics touched upon in the passage: Efficacy of fortification, Public Health Goals to end malnutrition, etc.
- Indent the notes properly
- Use of abbreviations is a must, give a key at the end for the abbreviations, do not overuse abbreviations.
- Key at the end of the note should be enclosed in a box.
- Don’t include all the information present in an article or paragraph, only the important points should be included.
- There should be no complete sentences in the notes.
- Give a title to the notes after reading the given passage carefully. The main theme becomes the heading: Fortification of food!
- Then, give sub-headings depending upon the less important topics touched upon in the passage: Efficacy of fortification, Public Health Goals to end malnutrition, etc.
- Indent the notes properly
- Use of abbreviations is a must, give a key at the end for the abbreviations, do not overuse abbreviations.
- Key at the end of the note should be enclosed in a box.
- Don’t include all the information present in an article or paragraph, only the important points should be included.
- There should be no complete sentences in the notes.