By CHIOMA OBINNA

Improper nutrition among Nigerians has been identified as the bane of human development in Nigeria even as experts have harped on the need for improved nutritional knowledge and practices of Nigerians for better health and overall wellbeing.

Today, Nigeria is grappling with the challenges of under nutrition, the incidence of obesity and related manifestations of overnutrition are beginning to emerge at relatively significant levels.  These and more led to the renewed call by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, NSN, to embark on Nutrition Education Programme.

President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Professor Ngozi Nnam,  who noted that nutrition is the bedrock of development stressed that for an individual to develop well that individual needs to be in the state of good nutritional status.

Dismissing the general belief that poverty was the major cause of malnutrition in the country, Nnam said: “Poverty rate is not the major cause of malnutrition in Nigeria because, most of these people we say are “poor”, around their environments they have fruits that could really make them be in good nutritional status. The problem is not poverty; the problem is that they lack nutrition knowledge.”

“Take fats and oil for instance, adding vegetable oil or fortified margarine improves the taste of our meals, gives us the feeling of satisfaction. I must also encourage Nigerians to ensure they consume foods that are fortified with essential micronutrients such as fortified margarine, iodized salt, fortified flours and others.

“It is important we clarify the dynamics of food intake and healthy weights. When we eat properly in ways that meet our daily energy and nutrient needs we maintain healthy weights? This means our food intake matches our daily nutrient needs considering our physiological requirements and physical activity levels,” she said.

Director of Nutrition, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Abimbola Ajayi said: “We all know that, we are often told that we are what we eat, and not just that, food is what makes you and Nutrition comes out of food and one thing we also know is that, if a person is not adequately nourished, the person is practically in no place to do much of anything.”

Nutrition and Health Manager, Unilever Nigeria, Victor Ajieroh, said: “Nutrition is a major focus area for Unilever and fits into the objectives of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. One goal of the Unilever Sustainable living Plan is to improve the health and wellbeing of over a billion people across the world and nutrition is a key pillar for achieving this.

“As a company, we are committed to creating a better future every day. We make people feel good, look good and get more out of life through our brands and services.”