MALNUTRITION
– Malnutrition refers to insufficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person’s intake of
energy and/or nutrients.
– Types of malnutrition include
• Undernutrition: This type of malnutrition results from not getting enough protein,
calories, or micronutrients. It leads to low weight-for-height (wasting), height-for-
age (stunting) and weight-for-age (underweight).
• Overnutrition: Overconsumption of certain nutrients, such as protein, calories or
fat, can also lead to malnutrition. This usually results in overweight or obesity.
– Statistics: (WHO)
• 1.9 billion adults are overweight or obese, while 462 million are underweight.
• Globally in 2020, 149 million children under 5 were estimated to be stunted (too
short for age), 45 million were estimated to be wasted (too thin for height), and 38.9
million were overweight or obese.
• Around 45% of deaths among children under 5 years of age are linked to
undernutrition. These mostly occur in low- and middle-income countries. At the
same time, in these same countries, rates of childhood overweight and obesity are
