ABSTRACT
During the period under study, 1949-83, the nutritional status of the Chinese population improved tremendously. This improvement in nutritional status is most directly attributable to increased per capita nutrient availability and reduced incidence of disease. Average per capita nutrient availability increased by a large margin and the distribution of food consumption became more egalitarian. Morbidity was greatly reduced by eliminating or controlling several widespread contagious and parasitic diseases. The improvement in diet and health is consistent with the impressive increases in average height and weight for age documented for the Chinese since the early-1950s. Overall, the nutritional status of the Chinese population is now far better than it ever has been.
