Issues with nutritional awareness and malnourishment are prevalent globally. Malnutrition comes in many forms, including undernutrition, a deficiency of vitamins and minerals, obesity, and other diet-related noncommunicable diseases. According to the World Health Organization, 1.9 billion people are overweight globally, while 462 million are underweight. Undernutrition causes 45 percent of deaths in children under five years old. These mainly occur in low- and middle-income countries.

India is home to over 190 million malnourished people, primarily in rural areas and among disadvantaged socioeconomic groups like the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Globally, malnutrition is higher among poorer households, women with less education, and people from marginalized groups. The effects of undernutrition can last a lifetime. Children who experience periods of undernutrition are at a higher risk of developing chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers, and diabetes.

Interactions between food security, social relations and norms, and local knowledge influence nutrition in the household. Poverty, lack of education, socioeconomic inequities, and malnutrition often go hand in hand and need to be considered in nutritional health interventions and policy.