ARE INDIANS SMART ENOUGH TO MAKE RIGHT FOOD CHOICES? – TRENDS AND PATTERNS

Abstract

According to Nutritional Intake Survey Series conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation, there has been steady decline in consumption of calories and protein, but the fat consumption has been increasing both in rural and urban India. Unlike calorie and protein, the difference in fat intake in rural and urban is pronounced. Across the states of the country, the north-east and eastern region states seem lagging in terms of nutrition –moving further away from desirable levels and are much below the national average too. In terms of calorie intake, 68 percent of country’s population remains undernourished and during 2004-05 and 2009-10, there was an increase of about 55 million people who registered to have deficient intake of calories. With rise in food expenditure among rural and urban masses, there has been less than proportionate increase in calorie and protein intake. However, a propensity to consume more of fat has been witnessed with rise in food expenditure.