Bengaluru: An urban lifestyle and the stress of supporting their families both financially and emotionally, seems to be taking its toll on women in the city.
The National Family Health Survey 2015-16 , the fourth in the series, says that 40.2 per of women in the 15 to 49 age group in the city are anaemic. Its conclusions are based on a study conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences.
"It is a huge figure and calls for women to take their health more seriously," warned Dr Priyanka Rohatgi, Chief Clinical Dietician, and head of the department of nutrition and dietetics, Apollo Hospitals.
Nearly 70 per cent of women coming in for vitamin B12 check- ups are diagnosed with deficiency and this too can contribute to anaemia, she explains.
Anaemia develops when blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin. It is also caused by blood loss, such as from heavy menstrual bleeding, an ulcer, cancer or regular use of some over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin.
"There can also be iron deficiency related anaemia. Dependency on alcohol too affects iron absorption. People should avoid coffee and tea, which they now have like a meal accompaniment. We should stick to the basics and avoid junk food as much as possible. Have mullets and lots of greens," summed up Dr Priyanaka , also advising women to get their total blood count done and vitamin B12 levels checked if they feel they could be anaemic.
