Excess consumption of fats harmful
A leading nutritionist says that consumption of fats in excess quantities could be a major health risk.
05/12/05 Former Director of the Indian Institute of Nutrition (IIN) Bamji Mahtab cautioned people against consumption of excess fat as it would be a major health hazard. Delivering inaugural address at an international seminar on ''New Horizons in Lipids and Speciality Oleochemicals,'' organised at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology here on the occasion of the 60th annual convention of the Oil Technologists Association of India (OTAI), Dr Mahtab said according to nutritionists while adults required 40 grams of fat, 50 per cent of the requirement was obtained by the body from foods.
Therefore the daily requirement of visible fat for an adult was only 20 grams and children while pregnant and lactating women needed a little more, she added yesterday.
Quoting statistics, Dr Mahtab said Dr K T Achaya in his textbook 'Human Nutrition' had projected the requirement of fats and oils for the year 2005 as only eight million tonnes, assuming a population of 1,100 million and per capita requirement of around 20 grams.
Survey conducted in ten states by the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau suggested that vast segments of Indian population did not consume even 20 grams of fat, the scientist added.
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