NEW DELHI: The average protein intake of a person through normal diet has dipped 6-10% in the past two decades with almost 80% of rural population and 70% of urban people not getting the government-designated 2,400kcal per day worth of nutrition, latest data shows.Comparative estimates drawn by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) reveal that in urban areas the gap in nutrition intake is worse. While the richest get over 2,518kcal each per day, the poorest get less than 1,679kcal — a difference of nearly 50%.“The situation has very harmful health implications, apart from its sheer inhumanity,” says Vaibhav Kulkarni, chairman-nutraceuticals committee (western region), Ficci.The data shows daily protein consumption at the national level dipped from 60.2g for a person in 1993-94 to 56.5g in 2011-12 in rural areas and from 57.2g to 55.7g in urban areas.Experts say though there are many reasons behind the dip, change in eating habits and decline in quality of natural products are some of the key reasons for the reducing nutrition intake.The shares of items like fruits and vegetables, dairy products and egg, meat and fish was about 9% in 1993-94, which has marginally changed to about 9.6% in 2011-12, the data shows.However, the daily intake of oil and fat consumption has increased from 31g to nearly 42g in rural areas and from 42g to 52.5g in urban areas during the same period.The findings of the survey show a substantial jump in 'other' food items consisting of various hot and cold beverages, processed food like chips, biscuits, snacks etc. In 1993-94 these made up just 2% of a rural person's nutritional intake but rose to over 7% in 2011-12. In urban areas, this was 5.6% earlier and increased to about 9%.According to a latest report by the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), micronutrient deficiency has a complex aetiology. “Besides poor diet (due to poverty, ignorance, low agricultural productivity, and cultural factors); inadequate access to safe drinking water, clean disease-free environment, and health- care outreach also contribute,” said the report titled 'Micro-nutrient Security for India- Priorities for Research and Action'.It added, infections result in loss of appetite, impaired absorption and utilization of nutrients, particularly micronutrients.Experts say apart from human suffering due to morbidity and mortality, nutrition deficiencies have a high economic cost. “Productivity losses due to poor nutrition are estimated to be more than 10% of the lifetime earnings for individuals, and 2-3 % of GDP to the nation. Cost of treating malnutrition is 27 times more than the investment required for its prevention,” the INSA report said.