Nutrition awareness camp at Vizag Zoo

In a significant initiative aimed at promoting health and wellness, Southern Educational Institutions, in collaboration with IGZP, organised a Nutrition Awareness Camp near the Bioscope area in Zoo Park. The event witnessed active participation from visitors, students, and faculty members. Expressing his delight, Srikantha Natha Reddy, Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Visakhapatnam highlighted the importance of such health awareness programmes, especially in the vibrant setting of Vizag Zoo.
Food nutritionist students and faculty members from Southern Group College played a pivotal role in examining the zoo visitors. They provided personalised guidance on cholesterol levels based on height and weight, ideal weight according to age, healthy eating habits, and BMI (Body Mass Index). Srikantha Natha Reddy emphasised the significance of these awareness programmes in today’s society, considering the prevalent lifestyle. “Such initiatives are crucial for fostering a culture of health consciousness,” he stated.
Dr. Nandani Salaria, Curator at IGZP, announced that more awareness programmes are on the horizon in collaboration with the Southern Group. Stressing the urgency of the matter, Satish, CMD of Southern Group, noted that due to the lack of attention to proper nutrition, people are experiencing obesity from a young age.
The programme reached around 1,000 visitors, including zoo staff, from various places. Participants were educated on the timing and quantity of food intake, aiming to combat the growing concern of obesity in society. Mangamma, DCF, IGZP, and Assistant Curators Gopi and Gopala Naidu, along with Forest Section Officers Bharathi and Rajeswara Rao, actively participated in the event.
The Principal of Southern Educational Institution, zoo staff, and students from Southern College also contributed to the success of the programme.