1. The data has brought out the fact that the primary limiting factor in the Indian dietaries, even poorest segments of rural India, is 'food gap' and not protein deficiency as was believed earlier, a finding of enormous practical importance which has influenced the intervention strategies.
   
   
2. The widely held belief that the man of the house gets Lion's share of the food basket at the expense of the woman is not true, at least in the States surveyed by the NNMB. No gender discrimination was observed in any of the age groups, with respect to intra family food distribution.
   
   
3. However, it was observed that in about 40% of the households, the intake of dietary energy by preschool children was inadequate, while that of adult men and women were adequate, reflecting inappropriate child feeding practices prevailing in the community.
   
   
4. About 55% of the preschool age children were underweight, 52% were stunted and 15% were wasted. The prevalence of underweight and stunting was considerably high even among adolescents.
   
   
5. Prevalence of Bitot spots an objective sign of VAD among 1-5 year children, was more than 0.5%, indicating public health significance of the problem in 6 out of 8 States surveyed.
   
   
6. Prevalence of sub-clinical VAD was very high among 1-5 year children in all the 8 States surveyed.
   
   
7. About 35% each of the men and women had chronic energy deficiency (BMI< 18.5).
   
   
8. About 25% of the adolescent girls were married before the age of 18 years and among them about 25% short stature (< 145cm), making them vulnerable to 'at risk' pregnancy.
   
   
9. Tribal communities were nutritionally worse off than their rural counterparts.
   
   
10. Second repeat surveys indicated a decreasing trend in the intakes of protein, energy, iron, calcium and thiamine.
    
    
11. The extent of severe underweight and stunting declined during the past two decades, while that of wasting continued to be same.
    
    
12. The prevalence of central obesity was about 33% in men (WHR ³ 0.95) and 77% in women (WHR ³ 0.80).
    
    
13. The prevalence of Hypertension was about 25% among adult men and women.
    
    
14. The prevalence of diabetes Mellitus was about 4% in men and 3% in women in rural Andhra Pradesh.
    

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