ITBP losing jawans to heart attacks; issues good food orders

[Neo]

ITBP losing jawans to heart attacks; issues good food orders

PTI | Jul 20, 2014

Officials said while close to three dozen jawans had sudden death, including 16 cases of heart attack, in the first six months of this year.

NEW DELHI: Country's first line of defence along the China border — the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force — has a new 'enemy' in sight in the form of heart attack deaths which has claimed lives of dozens of its jawans in the recent past.

The paramilitary force, whose troops are largely deployed in inhospitable high altitude areas, has pressed the alarm bell on the worrying trend with ITBP chief Subhas Goswami writing to his field commanders along the borders and other locations asking them to make drastic changes in the present cooking style and eating habits of the personnel.

In his communication, the ITBP director general has issued instructions to cut down on the use of high cholesterol ghee and oil for cooking at border posts, battalion locations and in mess rooms of the force as he expressed concern over the high number of deaths due to heart-related problems.

Officials said while close to three dozen jawans had sudden death, including 16 cases of heart attack, in the first six months of this year, over 50 such cases were reported last year from across various locations of the force, including in places where the troops are deployed in plains.

What got the force worried was the fact that some of the heart-related deaths took place among the younger lot who have joined the mountain-trained force in the recent past, the officials said.

The DG, they said, has now got issued a first-ever exhaustive 'recipe book' which talks about preparation of healthy food with the minimal use of oils, spices and salt.

Henceforth, ITBP kitchens will only prepare food as described in these latest manuals.

Goswami, the officials said, took the step after he was told that high calorie and oily food taking toll on the health of the personnel and the absence of a standard cooking guidebook in the force.

Subsequent to this, a 69-page guide recipe book was prepared with the help of nutrition experts charting out the preparation of a balanced diet of vegetarian, non-vegetarian food and desserts by the cooks of the force.

The force has also made regular health check-up mandatory for all the ranks that include the jawans and officers deployed at all hard and normal area duties.

ITBP guards the largely snow-capped 3,488-km Indo-China border at an altitude ranging from 9,000ft to 18,700ft and it conducts both long range and short range patrols along this frontier which is prone to frequent incursion attempts by the troops of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

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[Neo]

This is new to me.

Sir @Ray, is the situation any different in Kashmir?

 

[Ashutosh Lokhande]

as far my own experience the foods served in the mess and canteen is very very high in calorie. like they use ghee and milk cream in abundance. i ate this mess food for 1 week and guess what? i gained 2 kilos in 7 days itself
maybe this is the reason behind high cholesterol levels.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Stress leads to high cortisol levels and in turn to high triglyceride levels. As far as I know fats are to be avoided at high altitudes. The health issues are not a simple problem.

 

[ladder]

Stress leads to high cortisol levels and in turn to high triglyceride levels. As far as I know fats are to be avoided at high altitudes. The health issues are not a simple problem.

Many jawans are vegetarians so in absence of fresh food at these remote paces, they depend upon vegetable oils, fats and butter for energy.

At about 18000 ft a typical soldier needs 6000-6600 calories intake every day.

Expenditure can be as high as 6000 calories/day, depending on altitude, extreme temperatures, and performance requirements for any given day (NAMOHAE).

http://www.bodyresults.com/e2highaltitudenutrition.asp

 

[Ray]

This is new to me.

Sir @Ray, is the situation any different in Kashmir?

Can't comment since ITBP ration scales ae not known to me.

as far my own experience the foods served in the mess and canteen is very very high in calorie. like they use ghee and milk cream in abundance. i ate this mess food for 1 week and guess what? i gained 2 kilos in 7 days itself
maybe this is the reason behind high cholesterol levels.

If I may humbly inform, the Army, be it for Officers or PBOR does not have Ghee or Cream in the Ration Scale.

One must remember that the ration scale is based on the work assumed that an Officer or Soldier will undertake daily and the calories required for the same, apart from the nutrition value. The clerical staff. who are sedentary in occupation compared to others tend to appear 'healthier' (being politically correct) than others.

Therefore, I presume if one gains weight because of military rations, I would assume the work/ exercise they undertake daily is not commensurate to the rations consumed.

Stress leads to high cortisol levels and in turn to high triglyceride levels. As far as I know fats are to be avoided at high altitudes. The health issues are not a simple problem.

In high altitude the desire to eat is badly diminished. Hence, there are substitutes that can be munched whenever desired like chocolates, nuts etc. These I believe are not what one could term as 'healthy' or so some believe.

Many jawans are vegetarians so in absence of fresh food at these remote paces, they depend upon vegetable oils, fats and butter for energy.

At about 18000 ft a typical soldier needs 6000-6600 calories intake every day.

High-Altitude Nutrition

In the High Altitude, there is a great dependence on tinned and processed food since 'fresh' cannot be supplied as often as desired.

Even though one is supposed to take the Multivitamins, yet one knows the disadvantage of tinned and processed food.

It is said that some of the many additives included in processed foods are thought to have the ability to compromise the body's structure and function and are suggested to be related to the development of skin, pulmonary and psycho-behavioural conditions

 

[Ashutosh Lokhande]

@Ray how can you be so sure they dont have cream in ration? i just had it 2 years back in colaba defence colony. my brother was stationed there and i used to go there every weekend to eat awsome sausages and delicious fruit custard.
or are you talking about only in high altitude locations?
and ya i agree completly with the rest

 

[Ray]

@Ray how can you be so sure they dont have cream in ration? i just had it 2 years back in colaba defence colony. my brother was stationed there and i used to go there every weekend to eat awsome sausages and delicious fruit custard.
or are you talking about only in high altitude locations?
and ya i agree completly with the rest

How am I sure?

Because I have a 37 years old association with the Army.

As per the Schedule of Ration Scales (SRS), sausage in rations can be demanded and the quantity is adjusted against the scale for meat.

Apart from the Rations issued, in peace stations, Messes also buy other food items from the open market, which is paid for in the cost share of messing by the officers.

For instance, Aginomoto, Noodles, Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Rice Vinegar is used for Chinese food made in the Messes, but then they are not on the SRS. Or say the ingredients for Pasta, which is also eaten, but the ingredients are not covered in the SRS.

And if you ate in the Officers Mess, ask your brother, he had to pay for it under Guest share.

 

[Ashutosh Lokhande]

@Ray hmmn i got it.