Take this with a pinch of salt!

The Yashoda Group of Hospitals in association with Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), on Friday, kickstarted a campaign 'Fight the Salt Monster' to educate the general public against excessive use of salt in food. High salt consumption has been associated with a number of health problems such as high blood pressure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer, obesity, kidney disease and kidney stones.Addressing a press conference here today, GHMC Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy, GHMC commissioner, M T Krishna Babu and managing director of Yashoda group of Hospitals, G S Rao and others said that that the campaign is the first cohesive step by the Yashoda group of hospital and GHMC to create awareness on health problems associated with excessive consumption of salt.It aims to bring awareness about the consumption of salt in the light of evidence that high intake of salt is harmful to the heath.To highlight the ill-affects of excess salt intake on health, hospital has created a character called the Salt Monster which depicts a 10-12 feet high salt laden scary monster to enlighten the community against the intake of salt.At 60 places various sizes salt monsters will be erected in most high traffic junctions, islands and central medians across the cit.The city is to make the general people understand that salt is a silent monster lurking everywhere and at everyone's home.Salt, also known as sodium chloride has sodium in it. Sodium is harmful for heath. Sodium is available naturally in foods such as diary, vegetable, sea food meat and eggs.Changing lifestyles of Indians in both urban and rural areas resulted in the increased consumption of packaged, processed and ready-to-eat foods that contain high sodium content.Every day, the average India consumes about 30 grams of salt, which is very higher compared to the recommended six grams for healthy people by National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).High salt intake leads to high blood pressure over time.High BP leads to cause of heart attack and stroke, two key reasons for death and illness in India.The mayor said that as salt is very cheap to make food tastier, the majority of Indians are putting themselves at a great risk by consuming excessive salt.The commissioner added that the reduction in salt intake is beneficial both for people with high and normal blood pressure.There is every reason to expect that reduced intake early in life will help to avert the age-related rise in blood pressure which is now early universally seen.Rao said that there are growing incidences of heart and kidney disease in the past few years  The salt monster campaign is an initiative to educate the community about the danger of high salt diets.Majority of the salt in diet is hidden in the processed foods and is usually consumed without knowledge of it.Excessive salt intake is also a risk factor for heart disease, kidney disease, stomach cancer and also a contributor to osteoporosis.