About malnutrition

Malnutrition is a large-scale and universal issue. It is also complex; the pictures of undernourished children that we so often see in the media tells just one part of the malnutrition story. Many countries face multiple burdens of malnutrition, which is why it is so important that we seek to understand and bring an end to malnutrition in all its forms.

Definition of malnutrition

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines malnutrition as referring to: “deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.”

Malnutrition refers to two sets of conditions:

  1. Undernutrition, including stunting, wasting, underweight, and micronutrient deficiencies
  2. Overweight, obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases.

Types of malnutrition

Throughout the Global Nutrition Report we refer to many different categories of malnutrition. We use the following definitions:

Adult diabetes Link to definition
An adult is counted in diabetes statistics if their fasting blood glucose is greater than or equal to 7.0mmol/L, or if they are on medications for raised blood glucose, or have a history of diagnosis of diabetes.
Adult obesity Link to definition
An adult is considered obese if their Body Mass Index (BMI) is greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2.
Adult overweight Link to definition
An adult is considered overweight if their Body mass Index (BMI) is between 25 and 29 kg/m2.
Adult raised blood pressure Link to definition
Raised blood pressure in adults is defined as raised blood pressure, systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 140/90mmHg.
Anaemia Link to definition
Someone is understood to have anaemia if their haemoglobin level is less than 110 grams per litre at sea level. Global targets focus specifically on women of reproductive age (15 - 49 years) due to the impact that anaemia in a mother can have on an unborn child.
Childhood overweight (high weight for height) Link to definition
Children aged 0-59 months who are above two standard deviations from median weight-for-height of the WHO Child Growth Standards
Childhood stunting (low height for age) Link to definition
Children aged 0-59 months who are below minus two standard deviations from median height-for-age of the WHO Child Growth Standards
Childhood wasting (low weight for age) Link to definition
Children aged 0-59 months who are below minus two standard deviations from median weight-for-height of the WHO Child Growth Standards
Low birth weight Link to definition
A baby is considered to have a low birth weight if it weighs less than 2,500 grams at birth.

Why malnutrition matters

All forms of malnutrition have devastating implications for human progress. As former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan wrote, “Nutrition is one of the best drivers of development: it sparks a virtuous cycle of socio-economic improvements, such as increasing access to education and employment. Eradicating malnutrition is crucial to delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals’ promise of ‘leaving no one behind’”

Read more about the links between nutrition and other sectors.