Introduction

Diet and nutrition are important factors in the promotion and maintenance of good health throughout the life cycle. A normal balanced diet must include daily foods from the various food groups in sufficient amounts to meet the needs of an individual. Health and nutritional status of an individual depends on the food she eats. The components of the diet must be chosen judiciously to provide all the nutrients needed in adequate amounts and proportions. Foodstuffs selected from each group should take into account the income, socio-cultural factors, availability and nutritional requirements. Selection of foods from the different food groups also results in variety in the diet, which not only ensures nutritional adequacy but also increases food acceptability. It was reported by Zive et. al (1996) that deficient intakes of essential nutrients such as calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, folate, vitaminA, vitamin B₆, vitamin C, were found more in large proportion of young women than young men. A faulty diet can certainly be a source of stress and this leads to the formation of poor dietary habits. Women with deficiencies of folic acid and other B-vitamins are at an increased risk of cardio-vascular diseases (Stoney, 1999). Keeping this in view, the present study has been undertaken with the following objectives:

• To study the dietary habits of the rural women and compare their intake with the Recommended Dietary Allowance.

• To examine the morbidity and clinical status among rural women.

Locale of the study

Methodology

Dietary pattern

Morbidity and clinical status

Results and Discussion

Table 1 and 2 show the mean food group and nutrient intake of rural women with reference to the Recommended Dietary Allowances (R.D.A). The rural family diet was monotonous. Consumption of all food groups was less than the recommended allowance. The women showed a poor intake of vegetables, fruits and milk products however, the intake of oil, sugar and jaggery was nearly adequate. The findings of the present study were supported by Johansson and Anderson (1998) who reported that most people had an intake of fruits and vegetables below recommended level. The daily intake of fruits and vegetables was higher in men than women. The diet was deficient in minerals and vitamins. The calories obtained were also less than the minimum amount required by an adult women (Table 2).

Figure 1

Table 1

Figure 2

Table 2

Table 3 and 4 show the common illnesses and nutritional deficiencies in rural women.The physical well being of an individual is related closely to her status of nutrition. Furnishing adequate food to a well functioning body assures good nutrition. On the other hand, poor nutrition results from an inadequate food intake or a failure of the body to use efficiently the nutrients supplied to it. The illness reported among the women in the study were backache, headache, pain in legs and hands and pain in the abdomen (Table-3). This may be due to considerable workload for women who spend 10-11 hours at working in fields, continue doing their work at home also and consume less food.

Table 4 shows the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies among women. The table reveals that 60% of them had anemia as they consumed inadequate amounts of iron, B complex vitamins and vitamin C. 40% of the subjects had poor eyesight and 10 % had goiter. Eating well, consuming fresh fruits and vegetables boosts energy and drinking lots of water helps the body to function properly.

Figure 3

Table 3: Common Diseases in rural women (n=75)

Figure 4

Table 4: Nutritional Deficiency Diseases In Rural Women (n=75)

Conclusion

Nutritional deficiencies that have a major impact on economic growth are protein calorie malnutrition and deficiencies of iron, vitamin A and iodine. This may not be true for urban populations in India, who have rising incomes and greater access to a diverse and varied diet. The results of this study reveal the status of nutritional deficiency in rural Indian villages. The study calls for an all-out effort on the part of researchers, policy makers and extension workers in popularizing the beneficial effects of a balanced diet containing more vegetables and fruits which will ensure nutritional security to the rural population. There are a variety of dietary interventions that can relieve or help prevent particular types of diseases. It has been found that a diet, which contains liberal quantities of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables and fruits would provide an adequate amount of all the essential nutrients. Each of these food groups should roughly form the bulk of one of the three meals. These three basic health-building foods should be supplemented with certain special foods such as milk, vegetable oils and honey. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, complex carbohydrates will help to maintain desirable weight. Limit the intake of refined sugar, salt and alcohol. Try to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. Avoid foods high in sodium, saturated fat and cholesterol. Eating is one of life's greatest pleasures. Since there are many foods and many ways to build a healthy diet and lifestyle, there is lots of room for choice. The ABC's for health are:

• Aim for fitness.

• Build a healthy base.

• Choose sensibly.