Do the present day physicians know much about food and nutrition? Probably not, could be the answer. Four generations ago physicians were not only prescribing medicine, but were also advising on matters of food and its rhythm. Even today in other medicinal systems such as homeopathy and ayurveda, prescriptions were also given to the patients in relation to food and drink and also in relation to rhythms, at-least during the period of treatment, but it is not so in the traditional medicinal system namely allopathy.
In ancient India there is a health dictum “fasting is a super medicine”. When there is ill health fasting was suggested; living on waters and juices was also suggested until the illness was cured. When there is illness, the auto immune system fights to expel the sickness. If food is taken in a normal fashion, we load the system and cause more stress on the auto immune system which is fighting to expel the undesirable matter from within the system. When a patient is being treated, for medicines to effectively help the cure there should be supportive food to ensure that the patient does not tend to be weak, but it does not mean that the patient be allowed to eat as if he is healthy. Drinking cold water and eating ice cream is avoidable when one has cold, affecting the respiratory system. Eating fried food and other calorie-rich food when one has fever causes more damage to the health while an attempt is being made to tone-up the digestive system.
Today in the traditional medicinal system, there is no prescription at all vis-à-vis the food and drink; the answer by the physician to such questions is, “Do not worry, the antibiotics will take care.” It is pretty much known that antibiotics are as much killers as they are medicines.
Patients may be interested in food choices, especially when they are sick, and the physician would do well to advice. Obesity and malnutrition are tending to be high in rich and poor communities respectively, due to inadequate knowledge of simple nourishing food. While many physicians recognize that diet is influential in matters of health they do not learn enough about nutrition in medical schools or in the training programs that follow. It is estimated that 50 to 80 percent of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart-sickness are partly related to or affected by nutrition. Timely regulation of food would medicate the occurrence of such sicknesses. A change in diet, if suggested, would avert the risk factor.
People gain weight at the rate of a pound or two every year which is not taken seriously, but over a decade the person tends to be over-weighted which would cause a huge impact on his health. There has to be a frequent if not daily weighing of the bodily weight as a habit which a physician can insist to his patient. Weight gain is such a surreptitious activity that persons cannot notice until after some time. A daily checkup is the best way to bring in the needed daily corrections in terms of intake.
It is a great service if in the schools and in the community, the children are imparted the habit of a weekly check-up of their weight so that they tend to be cautious to ensure height and weight balance. The body-mass index should be paramount in the minds of the humans to avoid the rampant sicknesses that hover around. Medical students should have in their education module a distinct subject relating to food and nutrition; a casual mention here and there cannot be considered adequate. There should be a specific examination paper in relation to this subject to ensure that every physician knows adequately about food and nutrition; curriculums shall have to be slightly reframed for this purpose. Physicians should be trained to discuss food with patients besides discussing the ailments and the sicknesses. A record should also be maintained of the eating habits of the patient.
Today all physicians warn the patients of the peril of smoking and of the benefits of not smoking. They have become advocates for not smoking. Similarly, there should also be advocates for balanced diet with nutritional values.
In any health-care system prevention of sickness should be placed over treatment of sickness. It is in this direction the law makers and the administrators need to work to ensure healthy food habits within the community. Preventing sickness is universally acceptable and is ever preferred to incessantly fighting ever-persisting sicknesses. A nutrition professor, Marion Nestle, says that “one cannot satisfy talking about band-aids, for bruises something more should be done in the field of nutrition”; it requires to be educated at all levels up-to the level of the physician.
“Weight loss” is the pet subject in rich communities. To ensure good health, keys should be given to all how to eat and reduce, but not how not to eat. There is a way to eat, to maintain right body-mass index that should be targeted.
Jun
27
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