Nutrition, food and prices in Pakistan

IT IS NECESSARY TO LOOK AT OTHER INDICES, INCLUDING THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF THE POPULATION. THIS PAPER ANALYZES ASPECTS OF THIS ISSUE BY CONSIDERING THE DEMAND PATTERN FOR VARIOUS KEY FOODS. THOSE PREFERENCES ARE THEN RELATED TO THE "REVEALED DEMAND" FOR NUTRITION. THIS STUDY OF WEST PAKISTAN IS BASED LARGELY ON THE HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN. FIRST, THE "DEMAND" FOR NUTRITION IS ESTABLISHED UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT TASTES ARE A GIVEN. BECAUSE INCOME IS A PRIMARY DETERMINANT OF NUTRIENT INTAKE, MALNUTRITION IN LOW-INCOME CLASSES MAY BE REDUCED BY EITHER DIRECT OR INDIRECT INCOME SUPPLEMENTS. THIS WOULD REQUIRE SOME INSTITUTIONAL CHANGES. SECONDLY, THE DEMAND FOR VARIOUS FOOD GROUPS IS ANALYZED. QUALITY EFFECTS ARE INTRODUCED BY DEVELOPING AMODEL FOR CONSUMER DEMAND. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT AS INCOME RISES, MOST PEOPLE SPEND A HIGH PORTION OF THE INCREASED INCOME ON HIGHER PRICED FOODS. THIS SUGGESTS THAT EVEN WITHOUT ANY INCOME INCREASE, PEOPLE ABOVE THE LOWEST INCOME LEVEL CAN IMPROVE THEIR NUTRITIONAL STATUS BY PURCHASING LOWER PRICED VARIETIES OF FOOD. THUS, PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO ADJUST PEOPLE"S TASTES TOWARD MORE NUTRITIONALLY EFFICIENT CONSUMPTION PATTERNS WARRANT CAREFUL CONSIDERATION. VARIOUS POLICY OPTIONS TO ACHIEVE IMPROVEMENT IN NUTRITIONAL STATUS ARE DISCUSSED.