The Fight Against Junk Food As Diabetes Rises in India

India is “sitting on a volcano” of diabetes, as NY Times reports more people in India are likely to develop diabetes from weight gain than people in other regions due to the rise of junk food in mainstream diets.

“Since 1990, the percent of children and adults in India who are overweight or obese has almost tripled to 18.8 percent from 6.4 percent, according to data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington….The International Diabetes Federation projects that the number of Indians with diabetes will soar to 123 million by 2040 as diets rich in carbohydrates and fat spread to less affluent rural areas.”

Prior to all this junk food, a traditional Indian dish that many people in India would enjoy, (as well as here in the United States) is called Khichdi. It is a mixture of rice, lentils and vegetables, and is a very healthy meal that provides a great variety of nutrients to the body and is easily digested by those with gastrointestinal issues. Unfortunately, many people are choosing the junk food over the Khichdi. Commonly prescribed by those practicing Ayurvedic medicine in which one of the fundamental pillars of good health is food (the other two being sleep and balanced sexual drive…). This time of year, as the holidays taper off and the rich food is finished, many are seeking to cleanse or detoxify the body; a meal plan comprised mainly of Khichdi might be the ticket for getting back on the train towards healthy, happy and peaceful living.

Read the full article here to learn how one father’s effort to ban junk food sales in and near schools aims to change what children eat. 

EPA Drops Bans Against Toxic Chemicals by NY TIMES

“The Environmental Protection Agency will indefinitely postpone bans on certain uses of three toxic chemicals found in consumer products, according to an update of the Trump administration’s regulatory plans. Critics said the reversal demonstrated the agency’s increasing reluctance to use enforcement powers granted to it last year by Congress under the Toxic Substances Control Act. E.P.A. Administrator, Scott Pruitt, is “blatantly ignoring Congress’s clear directive to the agency to better protect the health and safety of millions of Americans by more effectively regulating some of the most dangerous chemicals known to man,” said Senator Tom Carper, Democrat of Delaware and the ranking minority member on the Senate Environment and Public Works committee.”

The E.P.A. declined to comment. In a news release earlier this month, the agency wrote that its “commonsense, balanced approach carefully protects both public health and the environment while curbing unnecessary regulatory burdens that stifle economic growth for communities across the country.”

Agency officials dropped prohibitions against certain uses of two chemicals from the administration’s Unified Agenda of Regulatory and De-regulatory Actions, which details short- and long-term plans of the federal agencies. The third ban was dropped in the spring edition of that report.