Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Nutrition and Nutrition Policy Studies in Asia

Many studies in Western countries have reported that people with low socioeconomic status (SES) have a greater risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases. However, the relationship between SES and nutrition is considered to differ from country to country among Asian countries. Based on studies since 2010, the nutritional status of populations with low SES can be summarized as follows. In India, undernutrition among children and women has been reported. In China, low energy and nutrient intakes and undernutrition are common among children and the elderly, while both obesity and undernutrition are common in adults. In Japan and Korea, weight faltering in preschool children, low dietary quality among groups from school children to adults, and high obesity among adolescents and adult women have been reported. There are two types of policies aimed at reducing nutrition disparities: approaches for population and those for households with low SES. Nutrition disparities due to SES disparities in Asia need to be monitored. In Asia, studies on nutrition policy have focused on cash subsidies and food assistance for low SES households with the aim of improving undernutrition, but food environment measures for the population as a whole also need to be studied in order to reduce under- and over-nutrition, the double burden of malnutrition.