Adolescent girls face nutritional problems than boys of that age: report Having more than 243 million adolescents – the highest in the world – the key challenge that India faces is ensuring the nutritional, health and educational needs of this population, particularly girls. Over the past two decades, rapid economic growth – with real gross domestic product averaging 4.8 per cent between 1990 and 2009 – has lifted millions out of...

Is gulping down litres of carbonated soft drinks harming your health? We will soon know. The Union health ministry on February 7 informed the Supreme Court that a definitive study is now being undertaken by the National Institute of Nutrition ( Hyderabad) "to assess the effects of consumption of carbonated water beverages and soft drinks on health of adolescents and young adults". The final report of the study is expected to...

Radiation from mobile phones and towers poses serious health risks, including loss of memory, lack of concentration, disturbance in the digestive system and sleep disturbances, according to an inter-ministerial committee formed by the ministry of communications and information technology to study the hazards posed by mobile phones. The committee has also attributed the disappearance of butterflies, bees, insects and sparrows vanishing from big cities to mobile phone-related radiation. The eight-member committee, which...

A survey has confirmed apprehensions among health experts that school canteens in India’s metros expose kids overwhelmingly to junk food, while healthy options are largely absent from the menu. The survey of canteens in 20 private schools across the National Capital Region suggests that burgers, patties, and packaged foods such as chips are among the most sold in canteens, and fresh cooked food the least popular. Nutrition specialists say the findings, although...

This is the first time that the Planning Commission has sought engagement of the civil society NGOs have given suggestions for previous Five Year PlansConsultations on various topics plannedThe Planning Commission is involving leading non-governmental organisations and civic society, seeking their inputs, suggestions and experiences, for preparing its approach paper for the 12 {+t} {+h} Five Year Plan (2012-17), which will be the base document for the Plan itself.Though NGOs had...