Prevalence and Types of Malnutrition
- Nearly one in three persons globally has at least one form of malnutrition.
- Undernutrition is more common in developing countries.
- Stunting is more prevalent in urban slums than in rural areas.
- Different studies use various growth references, leading to variances in undernutrition prevalence.
- The double burden of malnutrition refers to the coexistence of overnutrition and undernutrition.
- Undernutrition in children is highest among those under five.
- In 2021, 148.1 million children under five were stunted, 45 million were wasted, and 37 million were overweight or obese.
- An estimated 45% of children's deaths are linked to undernutrition.
- Wasting prevalence in South Asia was reported to be 16% in 2020.
- India has a high burden of wasting with over 20% wasted children.
- As of June 2021, 1.9 billion adults were overweight or obese, and 462 million adults were underweight.
- Two billion people globally had iodine deficiency in 2017.
- In 2020, 900 million women and children had anemia due to iron deficiency.
- More than 3.1 billion people couldn't afford a healthy diet in 2021.
- Undernutrition is a growing problem in the elderly population, even in developed countries.

Increase in Malnutrition in 2020
- There has been a global increase in food insecurity and hunger between 2011 and 2020.
- Between 691 and 783 million people faced hunger in 2022.
- 2.4 billion people were moderately or severely food insecure in 2022.
- The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to food insecurity and increased hunger worldwide.
- The pandemic could double the number of people at risk of suffering acute hunger.

Causes and Risk Factors of Undernutrition
- Insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals can lead to micronutrient undernutrition.
- The most common deficiencies worldwide are iodine, Vitamin A, and iron.
- Children and pregnant women in low-income countries are at high risk for micronutrient deficiencies.
- Anemia, often caused by iron deficiency, can have major health consequences.
- The double burden of malnutrition refers to the simultaneous presence of overnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.
- Social determinants of undernutrition include poor education, poverty, disease burden, and lack of women's empowerment.
- Household income is a socio-economic variable influencing access to nutritious food and probability of under and overnutrition.
- High food prices are a major factor preventing low-income households from obtaining nutritious food.
- Food shortages contribute to malnutrition in countries lacking technology.
- Sociopolitical causes of malnutrition include poor government and lack of health-related services.

Effects of Undernutrition
- Undernutrition weakens the immune system and increases susceptibility to infection.
- Specific micronutrient deficiencies, such as iron, zinc, and vitamins, further increase infection risks.
- Undernutrition plays a major role in the onset of active tuberculosis and raises the risk of HIV transmission.
- Vitamin-deficiency-related diseases like scurvy and rickets can occur due to undernutrition.
- Undernutrition can lead to cognitive impairments, especially if experienced during critical periods of development.

Agricultural Productivity and Future Threats
- Local food shortages are caused by lack of arable land, adverse weather, and poor farming skills.
- Lack of technology and resources for higher agricultural yields in certain areas.
- Poverty hinders farmers and governments from providing necessary resources.
- Impact of World Bank and wealthy nations on agricultural productivity.
- Insufficient resources like fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, machinery, and storage facilities affect local yields.
- UNICEF projects that almost 600 million people will be chronically undernourished in 2030.
- Global warming is likely to increase temperature in the tropics and subtropics, where 95% of malnourished people live.
- Small changes in temperatures can lead to more frequent extreme weather conditions.
- Droughts have a major impact on agricultural production and nutrition.
- Colony collapse disorder, which affects bees, poses a threat to global food supply.

Malnutrition (Wikipedia)

"Underfeeding" redirects here. For the concept in metalworking, see Underfeeder.

Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients, resulting in health problems. Specifically, it is "a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients" which adversely affects the body's tissues and form. Malnutrition is not receiving the correct amount of nutrition. Malnutrition is increasing in children under the age of five due to providers who cannot afford or do not have access to adequate nutrition.

Malnutrition
An underfed child in an MSF treatment tent in Dolo Ado
Specialty	Critical care medicine
Symptoms	Problems with physical or mental development; poor energy levels; hair loss; swollen legs and abdomen
Causes	Eating a diet with too few or too many nutrients; malabsorption
Risk factors	Lack of breastfeeding; gastroenteritis; pneumonia; malaria; measles; poverty; homelessness
Prevention	Improving agricultural practices; reducing poverty; improving sanitation; education
Treatment	Improved nutrition; supplementation; ready-to-use therapeutic foods; treating the underlying cause
Frequency	821 million undernourished / 11% of the population (2017)
Deaths	406,000 from nutritional deficiencies (2015)

Malnutrition is a category of diseases that includes undernutrition and overnutrition. Undernutrition is a lack of nutrients, which can result in stunted growth, wasting, and underweight. A surplus of nutrients causes overnutrition, which can result in obesity. In some developing countries, overnutrition in the form of obesity is beginning to appear within the same communities as undernutrition.

Most clinical studies use the term 'malnutrition' to refer to undernutrition. However, the use of 'malnutrition' instead of 'undernutrition' makes it impossible to distinguish between undernutrition and overnutrition, a less acknowledged form of malnutrition. Accordingly, a 2019 report by The Lancet Commission suggested expanding the definition of malnutrition to include "all its forms, including obesity, undernutrition, and other dietary risks." The World Health Organization and The Lancet Commission have also identified "[t]he double burden of malnutrition," which occurs from "the coexistence of overnutrition (overweight and obesity) alongside undernutrition (stunted growth and wasting)."