AWARENESS OF BALANCE DIET AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN OF LAHORE

Introduction: There has been a dynamic shift in the eating patterns of the people especially children of school going age are more tempted towards the junk food nowadays. Malnutrition is a term broadly applied for the unhealthy eating habits deficient or in excess marco and micro nutrients. This may lead to a weakened immune respone, cognitive and developmental delay. [1]

Although the incidence of obesity is increasing under nutrition still remains the prevalent among the younger age group. Obesity has a multifactorial etiology. [2,3]. A more inquisitive approach of why rather than what shall be conducted to identify the associated triggers. [3,4]. A basic understanding regarding the healthy life style habits and patterns such as balanced diet, physical activity, stress

management and hand and sleep hygiene has been overlooked in the literature review. There exist an evident lack of self-constraint leading to binge eating. The purpose of this study is to assess the awareness of balanced diet among school children of Lahore.

Methods: A descriptive study was conducted among 200 school going children of Lahore. A self-structured survey questionnaire was used to record the responses from the participants. Data was

analyzed by SPSS 21. Results: The findings of the study revealed that most of the respondents had heard the term balanced diet early in their lives (73.0%), while (27.0%) had not heard it before. About (77.0%) participants agreed to the fact that it is healthy to comply to a balanced diet plan on regular basis. Most of them (78.0%) knew the value to include whole grain cereals and roughage in their diet chart. About participants (75.0%) were aware of the natural and artificial sources of carbohydrates and (25.0%) of them were not aware of their origin. Only 32% knew the correct abbreviation of DASH diet. Discussion: Although majority of the participants (73.0%) have heard about balanced diet, there are still a few of them who do not follow diet plant themselves frequently at home [5]. According to Juma Al-Kaabi et al (2008), consuming healthy food is a major component for managing all forms of diabetes mellitus, occuring either due to the lack of production insulin resistance, and preventing the serious complication. The aim of dietary modifications is to restore quality of life, caloric management, and preventing long standing hazardous outcomes. [6]. According to a study conducted by Rivellese A A (2007) in Italy concluded that compliance to a comprehensive diet plan is not merely the tuning of dietary components but also the interpretation of the importance of balanced diet. [7] Conclusion: Despite being educated for modern subjects the school going children lack adequate awareness and practical approach regarding balanced diet.

Keywords: metabolic disorders, health-promoting behaviors, balanced diet, physical exercise