India is deemed the “Diabetes Capital,” with over 100 million people suffering from this deadly disease. The disease is a lifestyle disorder an

Background: The school-based food and nutrition guidelines approach has the potential to combat undernutrition, overnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies among children and adolescents and set the foundation for a healthy adult lifestyle. Aim: To critically compare the Nutrition Friendly School Initiative (NFSI) of the World Health Organization (WHO) with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) guidelines to gauge the strengths and limitations. Additionally, to summarize the existing studies on implementing school food and nutrition guidelines. Methods: Policy documents of the above guidelines were critically evaluated, and narrative analysis was conducted. An electronic search was conducted for full-text research articles published in the English language between January 2007 to September 2021 in Science Direct, PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS databases. Results: Upon critical comparison of the three guidelines, it was found that the NFSI and FSSAI guidelines shared similarities in many components and the FSSAI guidelines, if implemented adequately, could improve the school food environment and combat the triple malnutrition burden in India. After screening the articles based on the eligibility criteria, 11 studies were included in the preparation of the review. Studies reported partial or inadequate implementation and poor compliance with the guidelines or approach. A few studies identified barriers to guideline implementation. Conclusion: Implementation of school food and nutrition guidelines could improve the nutritional outcomes in children and adolescents. To sustain the effective implementation, adequate resources and preparedness are essential in low-and middle-income countries, including India.

Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) has a remarkable effect on glycemic control among individuals with Type 2 Diabetes. However, the extent of adherence to MNT isn't hundred percent. Therefore, we aim to determine the adherence level towards the MNT advised by a Registered Dietitian (RD); to identify the barriers and associated contributing factors and strategies to improve the compliance towards the MNT among people with Type 2 Diabetes. A cross-sectional study was conducted among people with Type 2 Diabetes visiting the outpatient diabetes clinic from Kolhapur city, India. A structured questionnaire was used to capture the adherence and non-adherence, reasons and barriers to adhering the MNT. Out of 293 participants, 41.6% were adhering to the MNT. There was a significant association between the non working group (p = 0.01), presence of co-morbidities (p= 0.03) and diabetes duration < 10 years (p = 0.05) with the increased adherence level. Similarly, there was a significant reduction of 26.7%, 38.1%, and 30.9% in the fasting, postprandial blood glucose and HbA1c values respectively in adhering group post MNT advice. More than 50% of the participants in the adhering group gave 'To Improve overall health' and 'To control sugar' as reasons to adhere. 'Habitual to what they eat' (64.3%), 'Does not satisfy hunger' (42.1%) and 'Lack of willpower' (42.1%), were the common barriers identified in our study. Our study shows that the MNT advised by an RD is effective in reducing the socio-cultural barriers to adherence and improves glycemic control. Strategies like making the workplace more diabetes-friendly and adopting behavior changing techniques should be implemented to increase adherence.

The study compares the effectiveness of yoga practice duration in managing type 2 diabetes (T2D) among the Asian population. Out of 664 results, 22 randomized clinical trials were identified with 1,720 participants, aged 18–65 years, with intervention periods ranging from 5.5 to 24 weeks. Yoga therapies of ≥12 weeks show significant decrease in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels (Standard Mean Deviation [SMD] = −0.70, p = 0.0001, I² = 89%), while interventions of <12 weeks did not have statistically significant difference (SMD = −1.04, p = 0.28, I² = 93%). Weight loss was significant for interventions <12 weeks (SMD = −0.60, p = 0.05, I² = 0%) but not for those ≥12 weeks (SMD = −0.58, p = 0.17, I² = 92%). Lipid profile changes varied, with significant reductions in the lipid profile (total cholesterol) (SMD = −0.34, p = 0.05, I² = 85%) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL; SMD = −0.30, p = 0.05, I² = 79%) for interventions of ≥12 weeks, while high-density lipoprotein (HDL; SMD = 0.37, p = 0.04, I² = 85%) increased significantly in this group. Yoga interventions of ≥12 weeks were associated with significant improvements in glycemic control, particularly reductions in HbA1c, along with favorable changes in the lipid profile, among T2D individuals.

Background/Objectives: Excessive social media usage in the current times and high rates of food advertising can impact the health status of individuals by increasing food cues related to perceived hunger and, thus, dietary behaviour. This study examined the association between social media usage patterns, food-related advertising, and dietary choices among Gen Z individuals. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out amongst 314 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 in Surat city, Gujarat. Data was collected for social media usage, the most used platforms, preferred content, and eating patterns. Anthropometric measurements (height and weight) were also recorded. Perceived hunger responses to 12 social media-based food images were assessed using a ten-point Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (version 26.0), with the significance level set at p < 0.05. Results: YouTube and Instagram were the most used social media apps. There were no significant differences observed between the BMI of participants using social media for 2 h a day and those using it 3+ hours a day. However, a significant association between the BMI of those who viewed advertisements for ready-to-eat foods (p = 0.004) and the BMI of those who viewed advertisements for food delivery platforms (p = 0.001) was seen. A significant difference between usage of Pinterest (p = 0.02), Instagram (p = 0.047), and BMI was also found. Conclusions: Social media marketing and food content are shaping the dietary choices of young adults, and more studies need to be conducted in Pan India to understand the reasons. Such evidence will be crucial for guiding nutrition policies, digital marketing regulations, and youth-focused awareness programmes.