Trends in diet, nutritional status

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Trends in diet, nutritional status, and diet related non-communicable diseases in china and India: the economic cost of the nutrition transition
Economic growth among nations is the driving force to shift in dietary and diet-related disease patterns across the globe. Indeed, this why most developed nations are marked with high levels of obesity and non-communicable diseases triggered by dietary. These trends are rapidly being witnessed in China and India over the past half century, particularly due to their evident economic growths (Popkin et al, 2001, 380). Due to economic empowerment of their population, people are shifting from the use of traditional foods to others. However, such are dependant on demographic factors and economic distribution factors. If the current trends continue, we will witness the people in these areas embracing diets that were conventionally a preservation of the outside world.
According to the study, Chinese are increasingly engaged in using meat, edible oil, fruits, and vegetables. On the other hand, Indians are consuming more diary products, and sugar. Such are to be blamed for the rapid increase in diet-related non-communicable diseases in these two nations, an element that no doubt has resulted into increased health care costs. The study also appreciates the fact that unlike China, India has less dietary shifts in the rural areas due to the high poverty levels in these regions. This is however projected to change has the nation engages to promote equitable distribution of resources among its members. The continued expansion of the middle-class to an upper class and new entry to the middle class thanks to the good economic performance of the economy will reduce the gap between the poor and the rich.
In fact this is the reason why under-nutrition cost in India is bound to continue declining in the future. In terms of population growth, given the one child policy in China, Indian population might surpass that of China in the future (Popkin, 2001, 388). Nevertheless, the study fails to appreciate the fact that even with economic prosperity, economic distribution equality is not guaranteed. In poverty will remain in some members of the community. This will be reflected as the rich continues to become richer while the poor continues to remain poor. This will however not impa...