Malnutrition

Malnutrition

deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and nutrients

Wasting

low weight for height

• Recent, severe weight loss

  • lack of food

  • infectious disease, like malaria, that made them lose weight

• Increased risk of death, but treatment is possible

Stunting

• Chronic or recurrent undernutrition

  • Poor socioeconomic conditions

  • Poor maternal health and nutrition

  • Frequent illness

  • Inappropriate infant and young child feeding and care in early life

Underweight

• low weight for age

• May be stunted, wasted, or both

Micronutrient-related malnutrition

• Inadequacies in intake of vitamins and minerals, which are needed to produce enzymes, hormones, and other substances that are essential for growth and development

micronutrients most needed

• Iodine, vitamin A, iron are most needed

micronutrient malnutrition importance

• Major threat to health and development of the world, especially children and women in low-income countries

Overweight and obesity

A person is too heavy for their height, with this excessive fat accumulation impairing health

BMI

• index of weight and height used to classify whether people are overweight or obese

• kg/m^2 (m^2 is square of height)

BMI thresholds

• Adults: overweight is 25<=, obese is 30<=

• For children and adolescents, BMI thresholds vary by age

overweight/obese trends

Globally, people are consuming more energy-dense food and drinks (high in sugar and fats) and engaging in less physical activity

Diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs)

• cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke

• High blood pressure

• Certain cancers

• Diabetes

• Poor diets and nutrition are high risk factor for these globally

Statistics (2022):

• 390 million adults were underweight

• 2.5 billion adults were overweight, including 890 million people with obesity

• 390 million children and adolescents (5-19) were overweight, including 160 million people with obesity

• 190 million children were living with thinness

• 140 million kids under 5 were stunted

• 37 million kids under 5 are overweight/obese

• Nearly half of deaths of kids under 5 are linked to undernutrition; these deaths are mainly in low- and middle-income countries