Eating much more.

"For decades India fought one great battle - hunger." "Those efforts worked. In one generation, poverty at the $3-a-day line has plunged from nearly half the population in 2004 to below 5% today." "As India has grown richer, a different epidemic has quietly spread - obesity." "Recognizing this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked all Indians to reduce their edible oil consumption by 10%," wrote Chief Economic Advisor Anantha Nageswaran & Ruchir Agarwal. In 1990, "diarrhoeal diseases held the top spot in mortality with age-standardised mortality rate (ASMR) of 300.53 per 100,000," but in 2023, "ischemic heart disease leads with an ASMR of 127.82 per 100,000." Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was second with an ASMR of 99.25 while stroke was third at 92.88. NDTV. COPD is not due to overeating but mostly due to smoking, to pollution and to Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Cleveland Clinic. In India, "Bidis are popular (wikipedia) among individuals with lower incomes, due to their lower cost." And, "Contrary to common belief that they contain less tobacco and are made from leaves, bidis can be up to eight times more harmful than cigarettes." TOI. A study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation found that carbohydrates, white rice, refined grains and sugar, contribute 62% of calories in an average Indian diet, much higher than recommended 55%, and fats are higher than the 30% advised. TOI. Cereals are cheaper than proteins, as bidis are cheaper than cigarettes, which means that poverty is a major contributor to noncommunicable diseases (NCD) (WHO) in India. Indian farmers prefer to grow rice and wheat because some states subsidise water and electricity and the central government buys rice and wheat, (Mint), at a pre-determined minimum support price (MSP) which prevents a steep fall in prices in case of over-production (pib.gov.in). Since 1 January 2023, the Indian government has been distributing 5 kg of free food grains to 813.5 million people. pib.gov.in. It seems therefore that people can make an informed choice in their diet and lifestyle if they become more affluent and that can only happen if they have steady, well-paying jobs. Unfortunately, "For long, India's services sector has been seen as the engine of economic growth." But, "Services now contribute around 55% of India's gross value added (GVA), but most of the employment they create remains informal and low-paying." TOI. "Services risk becoming a low-wage trap despite being the fastest-growing part of the economy," said a report by Niti Aayog. BS. People are eating a lot more. But a poor diet. Because they are still poor.