Nutritional needs are crucial throughout the life cycle. In history of development of man, food has been recognised as an important aspect and cause for struggle. Previously, the scope of Nutrition was limited only to the physiology but now the subject of Nutrition is multi factorial which is related to agriculture, economics, sociology, animal husbandry, demographiy etc. Along with the nutritional deficiencies, nutritional houses significant influence on communicable diseases, immunity, fertility, maternal and child health, family health and non communicable diseases. Nutritional epidemiology is the recently developed branch of Nutrition. The health status of any nation can be assessed on the basis of its nutritional condition.
In our country, where the cultural diversity is found profusely, nutritional variations are very common among the people. All the we have crossed the stage from lack of food grains to surplus footstep for export and green revolution to white revolution, but still due to low purchase capacity, our poor population is not getting enough food. Thus, different social cultural and economic factors affected the nutritional status of our citizen. It is also an established fact that notational problems are not only the subject of medical sector but our related with the multisectors. Nutrition is one of the eight elements of primary health care, which support the important of notation in the global health movement.
Cultural facts have a critical influence on nutritional pattern, as the directly affect our level of functioning. It should be noted that food is defined culturally. All the cultures of the world have a wealth of traditional dishes that attend desirable taste is and textures by an astonishing varieties of food. Modern trends are reducing the uses of many foods and are thus highlighting the frequency of many peoples diets. Urbanisation in many countries has affected the available of many traditional foods.
Changing economic environment may alert family life and eating habit. Full habits very from one cultural group 2 another and even within the same ethnic group. Most nutritionists agree that it is appropriate to include patients ethnic foods when prepareing dietary exchange. Is it is important to mention that food behaviour is not static. Some food habit or behaviours are readly maintained regardless of cost, time , factors of availability. Other food habits however are dropped. Modified or changed to reflective personal and families preference in taste and social status.
In our country,the nutritional concept of people is continuously changing . In cities, individuals are shifting their food selection from traditional foods to processed food . In rural India also, people have started liking buffet system in place of traditional sitting or pattal system.
