Nutritious and Health Status of Adolescents and Women: Nutrition is usually taken as another significant indicator of the health and overall status of adolescents. Adequate nutrition is particularly critical for adolescents as it is a primary determinant of the spurt of growth that characterizes adolescence. Poor nutrition is often cited as a major reason for the delay in the onset of puberty in Indian adolescents. Also gender discrimination in India is considered as one of the main causes of female under nutrition.