Pakistan dietary guidelines for better nutrition
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The first national DGs were developed in 2005 by the Ministry of Health, Government of Pakistan to provide dietary recommendations for infants, children and adults. A lack of dietary diversification, unsatisfactory maternal and child care practices, industrialization and changing lifestyles in addition to natural catastrophes have led to a deteriorating nutrition situation in the country, that made it essential to review the relationship between diet and disease in the local context and revisit the existing food based dietary guidelines to mitigate the risk factors for under and over-nutrition and chronic diseases.
The revised PDGN have taken into account the local dietary practices, cooking methods, cost of diet, nutrition and health situation of the population, socio-cultural practices, economic and environmental conditions to meet the nutritional requirements of individuals by and large.
As food consumption and dietary patterns of individuals vary from country to country, so do the dietary guidelines developed to meet the nutritional requirements of the population on the basis of age, gender and physiological status. Similarly with the passage of time, there has been an increase in population growth, rural to urban migration as well as change in dietary habits, socio-economic conditions, lifestyles and prevalence of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Hence, dietary guidelines need to be revised to meet the changing population needs.
The PDGN provide a list of foods with portion sizes to help the general public make smart and healthy food choices for a healthy, long and active life. Women of childbearing age, preschool children and adolescents are more vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies due to their increased physiological requirements and prevailing dietary and socio-cultural practices. The development and implementation of age specific dietary guidelines thus is vital for maintaining nutritional balance, weight management, prevention of diseases and improving the quality of life of the population particularly the most vulnerable groups.
PDGN are resource for evidence-based decisions making and better policy choices. They also serve as tool for programme managers and professionals engaged in agriculture, food, nutrition and health related activities to develop cost-effective policies, strategies and nutrition programmes that promote healthy diet, support production, access and utilization of safe and nutritious foods, including interventions to reduce and control diet related diseases.