The Response of Child Nutrition to Changes in Income: Linking Biology with Economics** Paper prepared for CESifo workshop on Malnutrition in South Asia Venice International University, San Servolo, Venice 20–21 July 2011.

It is regularly pointed out that despite impressive economic growth India has the largest number of malnourished children in the world. It also has the largest number of people with diabetes despite moderate levels of obesity. These two observations may in fact be linked; poverty breeds malnutrition in children and chronic diseases in adults. This article reviews evidence on the critical role of early nutrition both for long-term health and also for reducing the intergenerational transmission of poverty. (JEL codes: I12, I14, O15) [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]