Dietary Practices of the Garo Tribe : Influence of socio-economic factors and cultural beliefs on nutritional status

The nutritional status of a community is the sum of the nutritional status of the individuals who form that community.Food consumption is influenced by many factors such as socio-economic status, culture, religion, education, ignorance, food beliefs and habits. Food habits and food beliefs are among the oldest and most entrenched aspects of any culture. While referring to the various customs of the Garos, one will find that the customs and practices of the Garos are fast changing with the change of times. In the study it was revealed that the Garos were shorter and weighed less compared to their Indian counterparts. It was also observed that farming was the major occupation of the people. The staple food of the Garos was rice.The Garos consumed three meals a day consisting of rice and a dish. The traditional practices and customs of the Garos are deep rooted like any other tribal society.Mass awareness and intervention by various governmental agencies is needed to combat ignorance and faulty food habits.