Healthy Eating Index: Evidence from India

Abstract

Food security measurement in India is generally based on calorie intake. However this needs serious reconsideration given that the country is suffering from the triple burden of malnutrition, which is the simultaneous presence of underweight, overweight and micro nutrient deficiency diseases. Focus on dietary diversity measures is required at present, which incorporates the consumption of both macro, micro and phyto nutrients. Using nationally representative Indian household survey data from 2004-2012, a new measure of dietary diversity called the Healthy Eating Index based on the Indian Food Pyramid is constructed (Drescher et al., 2007). Preliminary results show positive correlation among the Healthy Eating Index and the other existing measures of dietary diversity like the count measures, Simpson and the Entropy indices. An immediate policy implication is to update the poverty line using the Healthy Eating Index and for revamping food security policies in India.