Food and Nutrition Systems in India Change as a Result of the Nutrition Transition: The Implications on the Food and Nutrition System in Relating to Changes in the Food Supply and Dietary Intakes

Hilal Al Shamsi,Sulaiman Salim Al Mashrafi,Abdullah Ghthaith Almutairi

doi:10.5539/gjhs.v10n9p74

Abstract

This review examines the implication of changes in nutrition system of India and relates these changes to shifting the dynamics of dietary intakes and food supply. As countries develop economically and socially, the nutrition transition will change the nutrition system. The nutrition transition began to take place in India due to increasing income and urbanization. As the result, there are important issues occurring, increasing the poor diets, obesity, non-communicable diseases, and inactivity.

Highlights

Since the beginning of human history, major shifts in the food supply and dietary patterns have occurred
This review examines the implication of changes in nutrition system of India and relates these changes to shifting the dynamics of dietary intakes and food supply
This paper will assess the impact of changes in nutrition and the food system of India and relate these changes to the shifting dynamics of the food supply and the dietary intake of individuals based on available data and nutritional surveys in the relevant literature

Summary

Introduction

Since the beginning of human history, major shifts in the food supply and dietary patterns have occurred. As the income of countries increases, human consumption patterns shift from traditional diets that are high in fibre to ones that are high in sugar, animal products, processed foods and saturated fats. This modification of the food system along with the rising rate of physical inactivity has resulted in an increasing prevalence of overweight and obese individuals as well as non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as diabetes. Five patterns have been evidenced in nutrition transition: collecting food, famine, receding famine, degenerative disease (non-communicable disease) and behavioural change (Popkin 2006) These outline the shift from a hunter and gatherer lifestyle to dependence on cereal crops and subsequent famine. I expect to find that economic and social trends as well as changes in how food is supplied have led to a decreased quality of nutrition in the majority of inhabitants

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