KOLKATA: People in Kolkata eat the healthiest among eight metros, an analysis of 43 million food logs of 1 million urban Indians has revealed. The flip side, however, is that the average Kolkatan burns the least calories. Also, with families increasingly eating out, the advantages of a balanced diet that is inherent in Bengal’s traditional recipes may soon not reflect on the people, warn nutritionists and dieticians.Data logged by mobile health and fitness firm HealthifyMe, which analyses self-reported information on what and how much people consume to work out the protein-fat-carbohydrate (PFC) ratio, shows a slightly higher protien and fat intake and a reduction in carbohydrate can make the average Kolkatan’s diet perfect. Other cities, however, require substantial changes to their food habit to make it healthy.The National Institute of Nutrition under the Indian Council of Medical Research pegs the average Indian adult’s ideal PFC ratio at 20%:30%:50%. From the 5.5 lakh food logs reported by 10,000-plus Kolkatans in 2016, the average PFC ratio of food intake is 16.9%: 28.6%: 54.5%, the closest to the ideal, says Tushar Vashisht , co-founder and CEO of HealthifyMe.Compared to the rest of the country, the percentage contribution of protein to energy is higher while fat and carbohydrate to energy is lower in Kolkata. “The high protein intake from the regular intake of fish, meat and lentils put people in the city at a lower risk for conditions like diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke and obesity,” remarked Mitali Palodhi, nutritianist-dietician and vice-president of Indian Dietetic Association.Consumption of vegetables is also higher in Kolkata than most other cities. Masoor dal, mixed vegetables and machher jhol are among the most popular meal items while muri or puffed rice is a very popular snack item.In contrast, consumption of fat is highest in Delhi that thrives on paratha, milk/butter and samosa. Such food habit puts them at greater risk of heart disease and hypertension. Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, on the other hand, consume more carbohydrate through their diet of rice, idli and dosa makes them susceptible to diabetes.While the survey shows that Bengal’s traditional food is balanced as they contain all nutrients, dieticians are worried that habits are fast changing. “Increasingly, people are opting to eat out or order in. When one does that, one doesn’t know the fat content. It is also disturbing to hear some parents brag that their children don’t like rice or roti. One has to get children addicted to home food,” said Ipsita Chakravarti, chief dietician of CMRI.The lack of balance diet is leading to micronutrient deficiencies like Vitamin D and iron and folic acid. “These problems would earlier occur mostly among the impoverished people who could not afford a proper meal. But that is not the case now. High consumption of fast food is resulting in these problem across socio-economic groups,” said Palodhi.Another major problem, says Chakravarti, is sendantary lifestyle. Analysis of HealthifyMe data shows the average Kolkatan burns minimum calories. While a Kolkatan burns 209 kCal a day, it is 232 kCal in Bangalore, 229 kCal in Delhi and 227 kCal in Mumbai.