Army's food-and-yoga mantra for jawans

Author: Express News Service
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: February 10, 2006

The Army, which is upgrading equipment and technology to meet futuristic war requirements, will now tackle a more basic problem-food for its soldiers.

Lending a helping hand is the Armed Forces Medical Service (AFMS) which is developing a special diet and food programme to improve the efficiency of the soldier'. The programme will include the development of food products to meet requirements of futuristic Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare.

"It will need to be long lasting food which can be efficiently stored for 3-4 weeks in case of a nuclear scenario," said Surgeon Vice-Admiral V K Singh, Director-General AFMS. The new plan will do away with wasteful components of the current soldiers' diet and will work to get the most value out of food.

Singh added that the armed forces were looking into integrating the diet programme with yoga exercises to increase soldiers' stamina and efficiency. The armed forces are looking into products that will survive sub-zero temperatures, intense heat and transportation over rigorous terrain.

A study has also been sanctioned to find why the food' preferences of soldiers change when they are exposed to extremes in climate. The AFMS will collaborate with the Defence Research and Development Organisation in the project. There has been a quantum leap in the funding for medical research projects and Rs 5 crore has been allotted this year.

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