PAU holds Nutrition Awareness Camp for Halwara Air Force Personnel

Ludhiana, July 13, 2023: The Diet Counseling Cell of the Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Community Science, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), in collaboration with Air Force Families Welfare Association (AFFWA), Halwara organized a two-day camp on Nutrition Awareness for the Sanginis of AFFWA (L) Air Force Station, Halwara. The main focus of the camp was to raise awareness about good nutrition and healthy life style practices, and encourage the women to prevent and manage metabolic disorders.

Dr Kiranjot Sidhu, Dean, College of Community Science, congratulated the faculty and students of the department for their initiative to work for the nutrition and health well-being of the families of Air Force Personnel. She further appreciated the effective planning and execution of the camp to motivate the participated women for adoption of positive and sustainable healthy lifestyle practices.

Dr Kiran Grover, Head, Department of Food and Nutrition, informed that the prime focus of the camp was to help the women get rid of their undesirable food practices, which were often based on lack of knowledge, traditions and taboos or poor understanding of relationship between diet and health. She further said that nutrition well-being can be improved by adopting nutritious, balanced and diversified diets. She shared that such consistent community based nutrition education interventions can go a long way in improved health outcomes and behavior modifications.

The final year students of B.Sc. (Hons) Nutrition and Dietetics under the supervision of course incharges – Dr Shruti Jain, Dt Dhara Jain and Ms Timmy Singla conducted diet counseling sessions and imparted nutrition education to the women with an aim that healthy women are the cornerstone of healthy societies. The body weight and height were measured to assess the Body Mass Index (BMI). Besides, Body Composition Analysis (BCA) was done and based upon analysis of the reports, nutrition counseling was imparted individually to the participants. The students also put up a display on metabolic disorders which are caused by lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating and faulty lifestyle practice, leading to overweight, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

President of AFFWA (L) appreciated the efforts of the faculty and students and remarked that this camp was a wakeup call for all of them. Awareness regarding these non-communicable diseases will reduce the risks and disease burden; and improve physical, mental and social well-being of the Sanginis.