Twin problem: Enough food but severe hunger

India grows enough food and the days of grain import are behind it. Yet,

vast segments of the population grapple with the lack of food. Hunger deaths, a shameful

phenomenon that the authorities try to explain away as deaths from

physiological causes, are thus common even though the nation’s granaries

remain well-stocked. But scarcity is only one aspect of the problem. What makes India’s

situation challenging is that hunger and malnutrition coexist with poor

dietary habits, especially in food-surplus urban IndiaAdult obesity, consequently, is on the rise; the number of obese Indians increased exponentially as well.To deal with this double-edged problem, the focus must shift to not only

plugging the gaps in the food distribution system to bolster public

access but also to educating citizens about consuming healthy — local,

traditional? — food.