TEHRAN — Iran’s Health Ministry has initiated a nationwide campaign dubbed ‘1, 2, 3 healthy food’ to encourage a healthier diet for the public, IRNA news agency reported.

The campaign aims for creating a culture of healthy diet and raising public awareness about the risk factors such as diets high in cholesterol, carbohydrates, and salt causing cancer, diabetes, and heart conditions.

Under the scheme some 800 nutritionist are giving free of charge diet consultation to the public nationwide at the healthcare centers from December 19 to January 4.

Moreover, there will be sessions held for the teachers, students and their parents to inform them about healthy diet.

Thanks to the nutritionists healthy food festivals are also organized to be held at universities of medical sciences all over the country.

In addition to the centers affiliated to the Health Ministry the municipalities’ health departments have also launched healthy diet buses and hanged banners in the cities to promote healthy diet.

The campaign manager Zahra Abdollahi said that in case the public eat a balanced and healthy diet and the scheme proves to be effective it would result in 50 percent decrease in heart diseases, 30 to 40 percent drop in cancers, and 80 percent decrease in diabetes.

MQ/MG