A new global report has raised concerns about dietary habits in India, highlighting a significant increase in the consumption of unhealthy foods compared to nutritious options. The newspaper noted that more people in India consume unhealthy foods such as salty or fried snacks compared to those who consume vegetables, fruits and other micronutrient-rich foods.
Global food policy report 2024: Food systems for healthy eating and nutrition It was published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on May 29.
The report revealed that 16.6 percent of the country’s population suffers from malnutrition as a result of malnutrition.
Share of population consuming all five recommended food groups, salty or fried snacks and no vegetables or fruit, 2021–2022
Source: 2024 Global Food Policy Report
While at least 38 percent of India’s population eats unhealthy foods, only 28 percent consume all five recommended food groups; these include at least one starchy staple food, one vegetable, one fruit, one legume, nut or seed, and one animal. source food.
Emerging trends in Indian diets
The paper found that consumption of such calorie-dense and nutrient-poor foods is not only high but also increasing, while consumption of vegetables and other micronutrient-rich foods is low.
Consumption of processed foods (chocolate and confectionery, salty snacks, beverages, convenience foods and breakfast cereals) is increasing in India and other South Asian countries. After cereals and milk, snacks and convenience foods made up the majority of Indian food budgets.
The proportion of the population suffering from malnutrition in India increased from 15.4% in 2011 to 16.6% in 2021. This means that the regular food consumption of about 17% of India’s population is insufficient to provide the nutritional energy levels required for an active and healthy life. Healthy lifestyle.
The prevalence of overweight in adults increased from 12.9% in 2006 to 16.4% in 2016.
India’s total annual household expenditure on paid meals consumed outside the home increased from Rupees 619 billion ($8.8 billion) in 2015 to Rupees 820 billion ($11) in 2019, according to the report’s analysis of data from a large nationally representative panel of households. $.6 billion) increased. an increase of approximately $3 billion in real terms.
Similarly, the share of packaged (highly processed and calorie-dense) foods in household food budgets almost doubled during this period, from 6.5 percent to 12 percent.
Wealthy households spent a larger share of their food budgets on processed foods. But it was unclear whether increased spending on convenience and ultra-processed foods was hindering the consumption of healthier foods such as fruits and vegetables.
Share of urban household food budgets spent on processed foods and purchased meals by per capita consumption expenditure, India
Source: 2024 Global Food Policy Report
The report emphasized that many countries face the double burden of malnutrition. This means that malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies coexist with overweight and obesity or nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in individuals, households and communities, and across the lifespan.
The study estimates that more than two billion people, mostly in Africa and South Asia, cannot afford a healthy diet. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, more than half of children under five and two-thirds of adult women are affected by micronutrient deficiencies.
As a result, the prevalence of overweight, obesity and related noncommunicable diseases has increased in South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, while high levels of malnutrition (stunting and wasting) and micronutrient deficiencies have also increased.
Calorie-dense foods are cheaper
The report highlighted that micronutrient-rich foods are expensive in the South Asian region, while cereals, fats and oils, sugar, and sugary and salty snacks are relatively cheap.
South Asia had the highest cost premium; that is, the additional cost of providing the least costly nutritionally adequate diet compared to the least costly source of caloric adequacy.
For example, dark leafy greens and fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin A are 22 times more expensive per calorie than starchy staple foods and twice as expensive per calorie as sugary and salty snacks. Additionally, calories from fats, oils, and sugar are even cheaper than calories from staple foods in India and other South Asian countries.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recently published nutritional guidelines warning that information presented on packaged foods may be misleading.
Among the 17 nutritional guidelines, ICMR has asked consumers to read the information on food labels to make informed and healthy food choices. It was also recommended to minimize consumption of high fat, sugar, salt and ultra-processed foods.
Grain-focused agriculture and food policies
As in many other developing countries, agricultural and food policies in South Asia continue to prioritize the affordability of starchy staple foods over the diverse diets necessary for long-term health. For example, rice, wheat and sugarcane growers are entitled to price guarantees in India. Similarly, rice farmers in Sri Lanka have privileged access to subsidized fertilizer.
“This bias also extends to public investment in agricultural research and development, which prioritizes improving the productivity of rice and wheat and ignores coarse grains and pulses,” he said.
The report, co-authored by 41 researchers representing IFPRI and various partner organisations, called for urgent and concerted efforts to transform global food systems to ensure everyone has equal access to sustainable, healthy diets.
“The 2024 GFPR serves as a clarion call to prioritize sustainable, healthy nutrition as the cornerstone of public health and sustainable development,” said Johan Swinnen, managing director of IFPRI and general manager of systems transformation at CGIAR, the global agricultural innovation network.
Experts emphasized the importance of prioritizing improving diets as a critical entry point in addressing all forms of malnutrition and diet-related NCDs.
“Evidence shows that poor-quality diets are the leading cause of disease worldwide, and one in five lives could be saved by improving diets,” said Deanna Olney, director of nutrition, diets and health at IFPRI and lead author of the report.
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