India’s double-edged nutrition problem (East Mojo) 

East Mojo (India) published an op-ed by research fellows Kalyani Raghunathan and Derek Headey. In the op-ed, the authors wrote the nutritional quality of many Indians’ diets has deteriorated since the start of the pandemic. Three in four South Asians who cannot afford a healthy diet live in India. As India looks to fix malnutrition, it finds itself forced to tackle both undernutrition and growing levels of overnutrition as more and more of its people are classified as overweight. The economic implications of malnutrition among Indian children, adolescents, and working-age adults are as significant as the costs for health and quality of life. The double burden of over- and undernutrition has high social costs. Obesity-related chronic diseases raise health costs, lower productivity, and curtail life expectancy. The lack of good nutrition for cognitive and developmental ability in children also lowers productivity and earnings in adulthood. While information undoubtedly has a value here as well, it must be combined with measures that either enhance incomes or reduce the cost of nutritious foods.