Nutrition

This paper reviews recent evidence on food intake and nutrition in India. It attempts to make sense of various puzzles, particularly the decline of average calorie intake during the last 25 years. This decline has occurred across the distribution of real per capita expenditure, in spite of increases in real income and no long-term increase in the relative price of food. One hypothesis is that calorie requirements have declined due to lower levels of physical activity or improvements in the health environment. If correct, this does not imply that there are no calorie deficits in the Indian population - nothing could be further from the truth. These deficits are reflected in some of the worst anthropometric indicators in the world, and the sluggish rate of improvement of these indicators is of major concern. Yet recent trends remain confused and there is an urgent need for better nutrition monitoring.

In India, edible oils are a significant source of essential fats. However, fat intake is almost absent among the rural poor, for whom edible oils are largely unaffordable. Edible oil consumption should be encouraged among the rural poor by supply via PDS at low cost. Steps to boost cultivation and lower the cost of production and import will also help to meet requirements.