This paper has attempted to find a link between food consumption and health status of rural and urban India. In the process the consumption pattern and transition in food consumption have been analysed. Simple statistical methods like correlation coefficient, average deviation, etc. have been used to explain the relationship among the variables. No significant difference has been observed at intra level in the consumption pattern as in both rural and urban areas the fat intake has relatively increased and calorie consumption has decreased. A clear shift in consumption preference is seen towards non-food items from food commodities. The high-value food commodities like eggs, fish, milk and meat are also becoming the most preferred items for consumption. On the health aspect, both the areas have common issues which mostly originate from impurities in drinking water and unhygienic living conditions. The urban people have been found more unhealthy and suffer mostly from cardiovascular diseases which are mainly factored to lifestyle and food intake pattern. A very strong negative correlation coefficient has been found between health and food expenditure in both urban and rural areas establishing the fact that food consumption pattern is the area which needs strategic attention in the present era for enhancing the human capital efficiency.
Food consumption pattern, health care, food expenditure
