Terming the Karnataka’s National Education Policy position paper on ‘Health and Well Being’ as “outrageous, outdated, unscientific and frivolous”, a group of seven doctors from Karnataka has demanded that it should be withdrawn immediately.
Coming down heavily on the paper for its “unscientific” suggestions and opinions, the doctors — most of whom are former students of NIMHANS — said they are aghast that the “ludicrous and irresponsible report” was prepared by an expert group that is chaired by K. John Vijay Sagar, Professor and Head of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NIMHANS. “It is also a matter of concern that this expert group on child health and nutrition does not even have a paediatrician as a member,” they said in a statement.
Citing an example, they said, “The position paper males claims about Panchakosha, the five layers (Sheaths) ‘covering the atman’. We urge the Director as well as the head of Child Psychiatry at NIMHANS to provide proof for the existence of such ‘sheaths’ or to immediately withdraw the paper,” they said, adding that NIMHANS must either provide conclusive evidence for these claims or withdraw this paper. “Otherwise, by practising such baseless methods, children’s health will be imperilled due to denial of evidence-based methods.”
“Further, the paper makes many outrageous and completely baseless claims of gene-diet interactions, natural choice of plant-based food for Indians, plant-based foods being more man-friendly, Indian food culture is proven to be the best etc. Contrary to these claims, a comparison of the Indian diet with the EAT-Lancet reference diet has clearly shown that Indian diets are unhealthy and that Indians consume excess amounts of cereals and not enough proteins. Studies have also reported that 63-79% of our people, particularly in rural areas, cannot afford nutritious food,” the statement said.
“While the position paper blames eggs and meat for ‘lifestyle disorders’, without citing any evidence, there is now a mountain of evidence available to prove that it is the excessive consumption of sugars such as fructose (fruit sugar) and glucose (malt sugar, cereal grains) that is the most important cause for non-communicable diseases... There is also enough evidence proving that eggs and proteins have a protective effect against obesity and other NCDs,” the statement said. The doctors further said, “The position paper makes exalted claims about equality of all children, no Pankti Bedha and Dharma in its bid to deny eggs for children.”
The group comprised Srinivas Kakkilaya, Physician from Mangaluru; Yogananda Reddy, Paediatrician from Ballari; P V Bhandary, Psychiatrist from Udupi; Shashidhar Bilagi, Psychiatrist from Bengaluru; Vasudendra N, Ophthalmologist from Davanagere; Rajesh Pompapathy, Radiologist in Sydney, Australia and Niranjanaradhya V.P., Development Educationist and Chief Mentor, SDMC Coordination Forum.
