Bangalore gorges on junk food

Bangalore gorges on junk food
Prathima Nandakumar | TNN

Bangalore: The IT City is on a binge. Women and kids are gorging on noodles, burgers, pizzas and fried stuff before dinner. Unhealthy snacking is on the rise. An AC Nielsen study on snacking among women and kids, conducted in five metros, suggests that loading up on fast food before dinner is becoming common. The blame lies with long working hours, the convenience of picking up a snack, and the gap between lunch and dinner.
While Bangalore trails behind Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai in pre-dinner snacking, it stands second in unhealthy snacking. At least 95% of women and 88% of children aged 5-12 in Bangalore consume junk between 5 pm and 7 pm. Short eats like pakoras, noodles, burgers, pizza, chaat, biscuits, namkeen, chips, vada-pav, sevpuri and potato wafers are at the top of the unhealthy menu.
The study surveyed 1,000 respondents in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata, covering homemakers, working mothers aged 28-40 years, and children aged 5-12 years.
It found that while snacking is common in mid-morning, tea time and post-dinner periods, it peaks before dinner. “Fast foods are addictive. It is no longer shocking to find people in their late 20s or early 30s suffering from obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol or cardio-vascular diseases. Obese children, BPO employees and IT professionals are seeking help to plan their diet,’’ says Jyoti Prasad, chief dietitian, Manipal Hospital.
Often, it’s busy parents who spoil the eating habits of children. “It’s better to give a child healthy food from the beginning as children are lured by advertisements,’’ stresses Sheela Krishnaswamy, a nutrition expert.
However, nutritionists admit that many people reach for junk food to prevent acidity caused by a gap of 4-5 hours between meals.
“Fried snacks and biscuits, though easily available in schools and office canteens, are a no-no. Employers should provide healthier options at cafeteria,’’ adds Krishnaswamy.
EAT RIGHT
BINGE BOWL
Pakoras, noodles, burgers, pizzas, chaat, biscuits, namkeen, chips, vada-pav, sevpuri, potato wafers WHAT A BAD SNACK DOES
Kills appetite for a healthy meal Leads to obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes