Food, the very utterance of the word is enough to tempt a food ‘o’ holic and make him think food and dream food. From the irresistible Bombay street food to the lavish meals of a five star hotel comprising the world cuisine, its all there in his thoughts at once.
Let’s rest the mouth-watering here for a while and discover a more significant role that food plays than just tickling your taste buds i.e its contribution towards the economy.
In the pre-independence period before the year 1921, India was home for massive epidemics which cause the mortality rates to rise and the population growth declined. It was only during the period 1925-1950 that the agricultural productivity stabilized that there was food availability and security, as a consequence of which people developed immunity against diseases. The mortality rates, thus, saw a declining trend.
The latest statistics on life expectancy proves the role of food, yet again! Better food supply and nutrition, along with healthier lifestyle and better hygiene have contributed to the improved the life expectancy of an average Indian. An average Indian is now expected to live about 4.6 years longer than he was expected to, as per the 2002 data.
The global average life expectancy at birth stood at 68 years in 2009 which is an increase by 2 years since 2000, according to the 2011 statistics of the World Health Organisation.
All the “food lovers” should rather worship the land that produces all the ingredients for their favorite dishes to taste best. And all those who think, avoiding food would help them lose weight, well you lose out on your immunity too. Its high time we youngsters realize that immunity is weakened by a food intake below some minimum level.
Food is, thus, a necessity for the smooth functioning of the economy. From appetite to economy, it takes care of all and proves to be the real ‘hero’, the backbone of the economy.
