08
FOOD ENVIRONMENT: CONCEPTUALIZATION AND IMPORTANCE IN PERSPECTIVE OFURBAN INDIA
Sandesh Yadav1 and Shams Perwaiz2
1

Freelance Researcher, New Delhi, India
Teacher, Sr. High School, Jokihat, Araria, Bihar, India
Email: sandesh_official@yahoo.in

2

How to cite this paper:
Yadav, Sandesh and Perwaiz,
Shams(2022)
Food
environment: conceptualizationand importance in perspective of
Urban India, Journal of Global
Resources, Vol. 08 (01)DOI:
10.46587/JGR.2022.v08i01.008

Received: 18 Oct. 2021
Reviewed: 30 Oct. 2021
Revised: 11 Nov. 2021
Final Accepted: 02 Dec. 2021

Abstract: Food environment of an individual is characterized
by the ‘availability of food’ and ‘affordability of food’. The latter
determines the type of food available that is nutritious or nonnutritious nature of food while former determines the accessto food in terms of purchasing power of people. These twocomponents of food environment collectively play a major rolein determining the food and nutritional security of any region.
Country like India is characterized by the disparity in incomelevels, demography and development. Likewise, India ischaracterized by regions with varying degree of ‘food security’and ‘nutritional security’. The present research article
discusses the concept of ‘food environment’ in perspective of
urban India. Further, the present research study investigatesthat how the above-mentioned concepts helpful in identifying
the regions with food security and nutritional security or both.
The study is based on secondary data collected from various
governmental and non-governmental agencies.
Key words: Food Environment, Food Desert, Food Security,
Nutritional Security

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Introduction
The consumption of food is not an assurance about ‘nutritional value’ because ‘availability of food’varies from one region to another while ‘affordability/purchasing power’ varies from one individual
to another. Consequently, some people are having surplus food while others struggling for onetime meal. In other words, nutritional value, food availability and affordability/purchasing power ofpeople collectively determine the ‘food environment’ and helps in classifying places either as ‘food
desert’ or ‘obesogenic environment’. Food environment offers different choices to an individual
and thus determines quality of diet, eating choices and health aspects related to diet. The present
research article deals with concept of food environment and classification of food environment.
Further, India’s 94th position in Global Hunger Index, 2020 makes it more important and relevantin Indian perspective.
Objectives of the study• To conceptualize and discuss elements, aspects, classification of food environment.
• To discuss inter-relation of food and health with special reference to ‘ready-to-eat-food’culture in urban Indian perspectives.
Database
The present research study is based on secondary data obtained from various governmental andnon-governmental agencies viz. National Family Health Survey (NFHS) - 4, 2015-16; Food as
Toxin’ published by Center for science and environment, New Delhi, India; Global Hunger Index
Report, 2020; The India State Hunger Index (ISHI), 2008; The Nutrition Index of India, 1994.
Reports, articles and other published material of The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI),National Institute of Medical Statistics (NIMS) and National Institute of Nutrition’s Dietary
Guidelines (NINDG). Apart from above secondary sources, various magazines, newspaper
articles have been consulted in the present research study.
Concept of Food Environment
Cultural set-up and traditional values play a major role in creation and development of foodenvironment of any region. Food environment is the response of physiography, socioeconomic
and food habits prevailing in any region. Thus, food environment can be defined as availability offood either as natural supply or man-made food outlets.
Figure 01: Concept, Elements And Aspects of Food Environment

Source: Developed and prepared by the author after thorough literature review

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Elements, Aspects and Classification of Food Environment
The nature and composition of food environment is governed by eating choices of individuals,
quality of available food and its impact on human health (figure 01). Eating choices of individuals
serve as major determinant of food environment by regulating the ‘demand and supply’ factor.
People prefer to eat food items of their choice and therefore supply of food items as per thedemands of eating choices and thus, governing the composition of food environment of any
region. Second element is quality of available food and is based on the principle ‘value for money’.
People spend money to buy food items and in no case, they will buy poor quality food items. Third
element is ‘impact of food on human health’ which explains that food item irrespective of its quality
and taste cannot to be part of food environment if they have negative impact on human health.
Food availability and food affordability are two most important aspect of food environment. The
first aspect of food availability is related to ‘demand and supply’ rule while food affordability is allabout economic /financial stability in terms of purchasing power. These two aspects areinterdependent and directly proportionate to each other. None of the two aspects mentioned
above can exist in isolation.
Based on these two aspects food environment (figure 02) can be classified into four
categories viz. healthy food environment, obesogenic environment, food deserts and foodswamps.
⚫ Healthy food environments are characterized by the ‘healthy eating’ with high nutrition value.
Here, proper food productions and enough distribution channels results in equitable accessto healthy food choices. People are more health oriented with high economic stability in termsof purchasing power. Further, peoples evaluate all the three elements of food items
thoroughly before making them part of their food habits.
⚫ Obesogenic food environment is characterized by ‘addiction’ of food with low nutrition andhigh calorific value. Here, food production and distribution channels are adequate in terms of
non-healthy food choices and consequently, people have equitable access to non-healthy
food choices. Basically, ‘junk food culture’ prevails in this sort of food environment. Further,people are aware about the impact of non-healthy food on human health but it is theiraddiction to ‘junk food’ which drags them to opt for non-healthy food choices.
⚫ Food deserts is a kind of food environment characterized by ‘oasis’ of healthy food choices
and dominance of non-healthy food choices. Further, conditions are worsened by the
improper food productions and less distribution channels and consequently, people haveinequitable access to healthy food choices. Moreover, poor purchasing power of people madethem to adopt ‘belly filling culture’ characterized by very low nutrition value.
⚫ Food swamps are worst kind of food environment characterized by ‘fast food culture’ withextremely low nutrition value. Food production of selective food crops and inefficient
distribution channels compelled people to opt for fast food choices. Here, people ignore all
the three elements of food items due to their limited purchasing power and aspects like foodavailability and food affordability are completely missing from this sort of food environment.
Among the above-mentioned categories of food environments, the most prevalent
categories include obesogenic environments, food deserts and food swamps and need to be
removed through multiple, effective and efficient policies and programs. These policies andprograms will improve availability, prominence and affordability of fresh and healthy foods.

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Figure 02: Classification of Food Environment

Source: Developed and prepared after thorough literature review

Food and Health - Perspective of World Health Organization (WHO)Physical and mental health of human beings depend on type of food we eat. Safe and healthy
food options will improve availability, prominence and affordability. Healthier food choices will
promote ‘health-based menu’. ‘Health equity’ can only be achieved through food environmentswith healthy and safe food choices accessible to everyone. Further, healthy food environments
support healthy eating behaviors which in turn prevents chronic diseases. World HealthOrganization (WHO) (figure 03) talks about diseases and their relationship with dietary food habitsof human beings. WHO gave us four broad categories of diseases related to consumption of foodviz. non-communicable diseases (NCDs), salt and diseases, sugar and diseases and fat/trans fat
and diseases. WHO data reveals that non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular diseases,
cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory, digestive diseases are responsible for 70 percent of global
deaths. Also, 15 million people aged 30-69 years die from a non-communicable disease. Incomewise study shows that 86 percent of premature non-communicable diseases (NCDs) death occur
in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). WHO says that NCDs can be prevented throughproper diet and regulated consumption patterns.
Figure 03: Food and related diseases as per World Health Organization (WHO), 2016

Source: Developed and prepared by author based on the report of World Health Organization (WHO), 2016.

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Apart from NCDs, WHO talks about various diseases resulted to the high and imbalanced
consumption of salt, sugar and fat/trans fat. Firstly, the high consumption of salt in our daily dietresults in cardiovascular ailments. The amount of salt consumed by people on regular basis ismuch higher than the prescribed limit. The reason behind is the unchecked consumption of spicy
and salty food, salty chips, biscuits, namkeen and other fast foods. WHO recommends salt intakeof less than 5 gm per person per day to prevent the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Second isintake of sugar which if taken in excess disturbs the normal metabolism and other hormones ofhuman body (Table 01). Here, we need to understand that ‘which form of sugar is harmful forhuman body?’ The common sugar is composed of glucose and fructose. The characteristics oftwo components are entirely different. Glucose is less sweet and get metabolized in every cell of
the body. On the other hand, fructose is comparatively double as sweet as glucose and breaks
down only in liver. The high use of sugar particularly fructose is harmful cause it is addictive andinduce us to eat more. The sugar dampens the suppression of hormone ‘ghrelin’ which signals
hunger to the brain. Also, interfere with the normal transport and signaling of the hormone ‘liptin’
which helps produces a feeling of satiety. Moreover, it reduces ‘dopamine’ signaling in the brains
reward center, which in turn reduces pleasure derived from food, compelling individuals to eat
more. Similarly, consumption of fat and trans-fat results in large number of ailments. Energy fromsaturated fatty acids accounts for a third of the energy from total fat. With notable exception ofsoutheast and south Asia, where it accounted for as high as 40 percent of total fat.
Table 01: Nutritional Guidelines
Sample name

Adult male
Adult female
Children (10-12 yr.)

Kilo calories
allowed/daily

Carbohydrate(g/100 or %)Salt(g/100 or %)Total fats
(g/100 or %)

2,320
1,900
2,100

290-348263-315238-285

6.0
6.0
6.0

39-78
35-70
32-64

Trans fats
(g/100 g of
food)
2.6
2.1
2.3

Source: Centre for science and environment, New Delhi, India

Food and Health - Indian Scenario
India being a country of spices and taste has its own flavour of health. But due to western
influence, change in dietary habits, reduced physical activity, unplanned and sedentary working
hours, improper diets due to fast food culture have made India unhealthy and obese country.
Currently, India is suffering from several health-related issues and food environment has also
shown deterioration during the past few decade (figure 04).
Figure 04: Food and related diseases in Urban India

Source: Developed and prepared by author after thorough literature review.

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The public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) states that non-communicable diseases(NCDs) account for as much as 53 percent of the total mortality and 44 percent of the disability
adjusted life years (DALYs) in India. Likewise, the other agency named National Institute ofMedical Statistics (NIMS) talks about shocking increase in hypertension not just in urban areas
but also in rural India. Rural India is getting urbanized in terms of food and lifestyle with use of
tobacco, alcohol and junk food on the one hand, lack of exercise and decreased consumption ofvegetation on the other hand. If we got through the data of National Family Health Survey (NFHS)
then India became 3rd most obese country in the world. The males and females of both urban andrural areas are equally facing the threat of obesity and issue of under-nutrition. According to NFHS
data, urban areas have 19.7 percent of obese males as compared to 10.6 percent of obese males
in rural areas. Similarly, urban areas have higher percentage of obese females’ 23.7 percent ascompared to 10.7 percent obese females in rural areas. Now, if we talk about under-nutritionchildren then percentage increased from 19.8 percent (2005-06) to 21 percent (2015-16). Thismeans that one in every five children below five years has a lower body weight for his/her height.
Talking about the salt scenario in India then our country is facing serious salt problem. In
India, nearly 40 percent of the population consumes about 10 grams of salt per person per day.
The data presented by the National Institute of Nutrition’s Dietary Guidelines (MINDGs)
shockingly reveals that India’s current consumption is between 5 to 30 gram per person per day
across different states. The data of NFHS reveals shocking sugar level scenario in India. As per
NFHS, 8 percent of men in the age group of 15-49 years have high blood sugar levels, 13 percent
are hypersensitive, among 15-49 years age group about 8 percent men and 5.8 percent women
have high blood sugar levels. Likewise, 13.6 percent men and 8.8 percent women are
hypersensitive.
Dominance of Ready-to-eat-food Culture in Urban India‘Ready-to-eat-food’ (Figure 05 and Table 02) is dominating the food environment in India
irrespective of income level, age-wise and societal status of people. This ‘ready-to-eat-food’ canbe broadly classified into three categories viz. junk food which includes the packaged andprocessed food items such as burgers, pizzas, juices, sauces, sweets and sweetened drinks,
snack food which includes salted and fried baked food items such as namkeen, chips, bakery
items, aerated soda and salty biscuits and fast food includes local fried food items like samosa,chola bhatura, chola kulcha, puri sabji, aloo kachori, kadi chawal, besan pakode, momos, paties
and paranthe. The above-mentioned food items are being served by foreign players as well as
domestic players. The foreign players include Mcdonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Pizza
Hut, Dominos, Subway, Taco Bell, Coca Cola and Barista. On the other hand, domestic players
include Nirula’s, Pizza corner, Cafe Coffee Day (CCD), Haldiram and Bikanerwala.
Table 02: Composition of different ‘ready-to-eat-food’Sample name

Total carbohydrate
Salt
Total fats
Trans fats
(g/100 or %)(g/100 or %)(g/100 or %)(g/100 g of food)
Potato chips
57.5
2.3
32.8
0.8
Indian snacks
49.9
2.5
35.9
1.6
Instant noodles
71.6
3.7
14.1
0.6
Carbonated drinks
14.4---Burgers
38.2
1.5
11.9
0.4
Pizza
50.3
1.0
7.1
0.1
Fries
56.5
0.4
19.9
16
Fried Chicken
14.0
0.9
23.4
0.7
Source: Food as toxins (2010), Centre for science and environment, New Delhi, India.

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Figure 05: Current Food Environment in Urban India

Source: Developed and prepared by author based on perception survey and literature review.

Current scenario (Table 03 and Table 04) of food environment is analyzed in seven majorstates viz. Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Maharashtra andTamil Nadu. The scenario involves the study of food choices in rural and urban areas of theabove-mentioned states of India. The data reveals that scenario in urban areas is much worse ascompared to rural areas. Further, people have opted for local fried food and chips /namkeen bothin urban and rural areas. The overall comparison between urban and rural areas show that
consumption is double in urban areas as compared to rural areas. The scenario of healthy foodchoices is low both in rural and urban areas of the above-mentioned states of India. The overall
comparison shows that there was marginal difference between the people of rural and urban
areas which opted healthy food choices.
Food Environment in the Light of Nutrition Index (1994) and India State Hunger Index (2008)
in Urban India
In India, food environment is highly determined by the economic affordability of people. Poorpurchasing power of people living in squatter settlements and JJ clusters compel people tochoose unhealthy and non-nutritious food as ‘belly filling’ diet. Such ‘belly filling’ diets result ineither conditions of ‘food desert’ or ‘food swamps’. Now, states of India which had acquired lower
ranks in ISHI, 2008 can be categorized under the conditions of either ‘food desert’ or ‘food
swamps’. On the other hand, states of India acquiring higher positions in ISHI 2008 (figure 6) can
be categorized under the conditions of ‘obesogenic environment’. Nutrition Index, 1994 (figure 6)
helps to put Indian States under the various categories of food environments in much better way.
The low nutrition score shows that people are feeding on ‘belly filling’ diet and consequently,
suffering from chronic diseases, malnutrition and skinny body. On the other hand, high nutrition
score shows that people have ‘healthy food environment’ with healthy food choices available intheir surroundings.

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Table 03: Consumption Levels of ‘Ready-to-Eat-Food’ in Urban Areas and Rural Areas of Major States of India
Description

Andhra Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

Food Choices
Local fried food
Aerated soda
Sweetened drinks
Pizza/burger/ French fries etc.
Cakes/pastries/ bakery items
Chips/namkeen
Total

Urban
20.2
9.6
11.6
3.2
7.2
24.2
76.00

Urban
30.7
8.3
1.8
2.4
12.8
29.3
85.3

Rural
12.5
7.5
3.5
0.9
1.7
15.4
41.5

Rural
16.1
9.9
0.2
1.1
3.1
16.4
46.8

Kerala
Urban
28.1
7.4
15.9
1.5
16.8
25.8
95.5

Uttarakhand

Rural
27.7
7.7
15.4
1.8
16.4
23.8
92.8

Urban
17.7
9.5
13.9
3.1
4.3
41.9
90.4

Rural
12.0
3.7
8.7
0.4
0.7
32.7
58.2

Mizoram
Urban
9.9
4.7
4.3
4.3
30.3
9.7
57.9

Rural
7.7
0.9
6.2
1.5
13.3
4.4
34.00

Maharashtra

Tamil Nadu

Urban
30.3
10.9
12.0
7.2
16.0
22.6
99.00

Urban
28.2
6.8
5.0
1.1
13.4
20.6
69.1

Rural
11.7
5.7
27.6
1.0
16.8
8.2
56.00

Source: Centre for science and environment, New Delhi, India

Table 04: Consumption Levels of ‘Fruits and vegetables’ in Urban Areas and Rural areas of Major States of India
Description

Andhra Pradesh
Rural

Madhya Prades
h
Urban
Rural

Food Choices

Urban

FruitsVegetables
Total

2.5
5.0
7.5

Urban

1.6
4.9
6.5

2.4
5.3
7.7

3.1
5.4
8.5

1.3
4.3
5.6

KeralaTamil Nadu

Maharashtra

Mizoram

Rural

Urban

Rural

Urban

Rural

Urban

Rural

Urban

Rural

2.9
5.5
8.4

2.5
5.0
7.5

1.5
4.6
6.1

2.5
3.7
6.2

2.0
3.7
5.7

2.4
6.8
9.2

2.1
6.8
8.9

3.3
5.9
9.2

2.2
5.1
7.3

Source: Centre for science and environment, New Delhi, India

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Uttarakhand

Rural
21.6
6.4
3.2
0.5
7.1
14.9
53.7

Figure 06: Tools to Measure Hunger and Nutrition in India
Nutrition Index of India, 1994

Indian State Hunger Index, 2004

Source: Menon, Purnima et.al. (2009). India State Hunger Index Comparisons of Hunger Across States,
Washington, D.C. and www.indiastat.com

Self-Awareness at Individual Level for Healthy Life
Currently, no clear picture of nutrition and hunger scenario is available due to non-release of
survey reports as it was done in the year 1994 (nutrition index) and 2008 (Indian State Hunger
Index). This prevailing vagueness have raised questions like ‘what should be done to improve
nutrition and hunger scenario?’ and ‘what should be the level of execution?’ The fact which we allneed to understand over here is that health is for oneself and so it becomes duty of an individual
to look after it. We need not to look towards government for everything and every time. But
individual too have limitations and cannot involve themselves in survey work (micro, meso andmacro level) and so best suited thing is to begin with one’s family and home. Individual can opt
healthy food choices, maintain their nutrition status and attain good health status. Likewise, thescenario of entire society will change and attain status of healthy food environment (figure 07).
Figure 07: Promotion of Self-Awareness at The Individual Level for Healthy Lifestyle

Source: Developed and prepared by author

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Conclusion
The uneven scenario of hunger, nutrition and economic affordability shows that there is need ofurgent steps to strengthen agriculture, improve overall food availability, and provisions tostrengthen accessibility to healthy food choices. Further, major focus should be on eradicating
malnutrition among children and making provisions to improve the current scenario of childnutrition. Last but not the least, government should revive ‘Nutritional index’ and ‘Hunger Index’
as it was done in 1994 and 2008 respectively. The revival of such indices will help in assessing
the picture of India in terms of surplus/deficit nutrition zones and also state-wise hunger scenario.
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