More Indians choose cheap, unhealthy over nutritional food due to lack of affordability: Report
May 31, 2024, 17:47 IST
When you’re hungry and on a tight budget, do you fill up on a bag of chips, or reach for the fruits and vegetables, knowing they'll cost a small fortune? A recent report by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) suggests that for many Indians, the former option is the only option.
India's economic boom may be grabbing headlines, but beneath the surface lies a hidden crisis – a silent battle with undernutrition. To be precise, 16.6% of the country’s population is suffering from malnutrition, the report said. This is an increase from 2011 levels, when 15.4% of the population was malnourished.
Spurning this purported unhealthy diet is the fact that at least 38% of the Indian population ate unhealthy foods, while only 28% ate all five recommended food groups — including at least one starchy staple food, one vegetable, one fruit, one pulse, nut or seed and one animal-source food.
But as more and more people turn to salty snacks and fried foods, this might not just be a matter of taste preference; economics plays a dirty hand.
The IFPRI report highlights a cruel twist – nutrient-rich foods like fruits and vegetables are significantly more expensive than calorie-dense, processed options. This means people struggling to make ends meet are often forced to choose cheap, calorie-dense foods over a balanced diet.
The consequences are stark, but the situation gets even more complex. India, like many developing countries, faces a "double burden" of malnutrition. While undernourishment persists, there's also a rise in overweight and obesity. This seemingly contradictory trend can be explained by the affordability factor – people fill up on cheap, unhealthy calories, leading to weight gain without proper nutrition.
IFPRI points a finger at agricultural and food policies that prioritise cheap staples like rice and wheat over a wider range of nutritious crops. Subsidies and research focus often neglect essential pulses, coarse grains, and the vegetables people need for a balanced diet.
This new report is a wake-up call. It urges policymakers to prioritise a food system that offers affordable, healthy options for everyone. This means revamping agricultural policies, educating consumers about healthy choices, and potentially even regulating the marketing of unhealthy processed foods.
It remains to be seen if our government and policy makers will be able to find a way to make healthy eating accessible to all. In the meantime, stay informed and stay safe.
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India's economic boom may be grabbing headlines, but beneath the surface lies a hidden crisis – a silent battle with undernutrition. To be precise, 16.6% of the country’s population is suffering from malnutrition, the report said. This is an increase from 2011 levels, when 15.4% of the population was malnourished.
Spurning this purported unhealthy diet is the fact that at least 38% of the Indian population ate unhealthy foods, while only 28% ate all five recommended food groups — including at least one starchy staple food, one vegetable, one fruit, one pulse, nut or seed and one animal-source food.
But as more and more people turn to salty snacks and fried foods, this might not just be a matter of taste preference; economics plays a dirty hand.
The IFPRI report highlights a cruel twist – nutrient-rich foods like fruits and vegetables are significantly more expensive than calorie-dense, processed options. This means people struggling to make ends meet are often forced to choose cheap, calorie-dense foods over a balanced diet.
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IFPRI points a finger at agricultural and food policies that prioritise cheap staples like rice and wheat over a wider range of nutritious crops. Subsidies and research focus often neglect essential pulses, coarse grains, and the vegetables people need for a balanced diet.
This new report is a wake-up call. It urges policymakers to prioritise a food system that offers affordable, healthy options for everyone. This means revamping agricultural policies, educating consumers about healthy choices, and potentially even regulating the marketing of unhealthy processed foods.
It remains to be seen if our government and policy makers will be able to find a way to make healthy eating accessible to all. In the meantime, stay informed and stay safe.