Persisting Undernutrition in India

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxv

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2. Introduction

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. India’s Nutrition Scenario: Issues and State Response

      • Nira Ramachandran

      Pages 3-27

   3. Changing Calorie Consumption and Dietary Patterns

      • Nira Ramachandran

      Pages 29-46

3. Issues and Concerns

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 47-47

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   2. Does Gender Still Determine Nutrition Status?

      • Nira Ramachandran

      Pages 49-61

   3. The Costs of Persisting Adult Undernutrition

      • Nira Ramachandran

      Pages 63-89

   4. Why Child Undernutrition Persists in India

      • Nira Ramachandran

      Pages 91-113

   5. Exploring Child Undernutrition Further: Best and Worst Case Scenarios

      • Nira Ramachandran

      Pages 115-126

   6. The Additional Burden of Anaemia

      • Nira Ramachandran

      Pages 127-148

   7. Do Nutrition Interventions Work in the Field? Reality Check

      • Nira Ramachandran

      Pages 149-163

   8. Factoring Climate Change into the Nutrition Scenario

      • Nira Ramachandran

      Pages 165-178

4. In Search of Solutions

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 179-179

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   2. A Family-Based Approach to Nutrition

      • Nira Ramachandran

      Pages 181-200

   3. Making the ICDS Effective

      • Nira Ramachandran

      Pages 201-213

   4. Improving Nutrition Status: Lessons from International Experience

      • Nira Ramachandran

      Pages 215-228

5. Conclusions

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 229-229

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   2. Fast Tracking Nutritional Improvements in India

      • Nira Ramachandran

      Pages 231-241

6. Erratum to: Changing Calorie Consumption and Dietary Patterns

   • Nira Ramachandran

   Pages E1-E1

The book revisits the causes of persisting under nutrition in India, but moves away from the usual focus on women and children to a broader view of the entire population. It estimates the economic losses resulting from ignoring under nutrition in the adult working population and questions the current narrow focus of nutrition interventions, suggesting that a family-based approach may provide quicker results and long-term sustainability. It compares the best and worst performing states in the country to glean learnings from both successes and failures and emphasizes the need to hand over the ownership of nutrition outcomes from the state to the community and family for more sustainable results. The book is organized in three sections: Part 1 details the nutrition status of the population, regional variations in nutrition outcomes and government response in terms of interventions. Part 2 reviews issues and concerns like gender discrimination, poor child nutrition status, ineffective implementation of government programmes in the field and the possible impacts of emerging issues like climate change. Part 3 seeks solutions from both international and country experiences.

• Adult undernutrition in India
• Changing dietary patterns in India
• Determinants of nutrition status
• Family health approach to nutrition
• Gender and undernutrition
• ICDS and undernutrition
• Nutrition and poverty
• Regional disparities in nutrition
• Undernutrition in India

“It is a text that gives a very clear picture of India’s health and nutrition problem, offering at the same time some suggestions to remedy the situation. … it should be read and consulted by all those who are concerned with health and nutrition of our nation. For students specialising in health and nutrition, the book could be ready reference for the Indian situation. … A well written good book, highly recommended.” (Dr. Jutta Dikshit, Transactions, Vol. 37 (2), 2015)

• Independent Development Consultant, Gurgaon, India

  Nira Ramachandran

Nira Ramachandran is an independent development consultant and Director, Research and Training, Bhoovigyan Vikas Foundation (Earth Care Foundation), New Delhi, India. This book was written during her tenure as Senior Fellow, Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) at the Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi.

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