Notwithstanding the impressive economic growth record in the recent past, India continues to have high rates of malnutrition, especially among women and children.

This paper examines two interrelated questions; What is the extent of gender gap in adult malnutrition in India and whether such gender gap is specific to India alone? These questions analyzing the National Family Health Survey (2005-06) unit-level data.

Breast-feeding is the most important form of infant nutrition. Unfortunately there has been a steady decline in breast-feeding practices in the post industrialized era. Breast milk substitutes, a major threat to breast-feeding, are indeed a big business.

In the absence of a basic questioning of women's status and role in society, birth control, abortions-and even maternal health care end up merely replacing an old set of traditions with new ones.