10 FACTS ON

NUTRITION

UPDATED AUGUST 2017

WHO
• Nutrition is a critical part of health and development. Better nutrition is related to
improved infant, child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy and
childbirth, lower risk of non-communicable diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular
disease), and longevity.
• Healthy children learn better. People with adequate nutrition are more productive and
can create opportunities to gradually break the cycles of poverty and hunger.
• Malnutrition, in every form, presents significant threats to human health. Today the world
faces a double burden of malnutrition that includes both undernutrition and overweight,
especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• WHO is providing scientific advice and decision-making tools that can help countries
take action to address all forms of malnutrition to support health and wellbeing for all, at
all ages.
• This fact file explores the risks posed by all forms of malnutrition, starting from the
earliest stages of development.
Fact 1: Malnutrition contributes to disease and early deaths for mothers and children
Undernutrition, including vitamin and mineral deficiencies, accounts for about one third of all child deaths,
and impairs healthy development and life-long productivity. At the same time, growing rates of overweight
are linked to a rise in chronic diseases. The result is a double burden of malnutrition.
Fact 2: A key indicator of chronic malnutrition is
stunting
Stunting is when children are too short for their age group
compared to the WHO child growth standards. About 155
million children globally are stunted, according to 2016
figures, resulting from not enough food, a vitamin- and
mineral-poor diet, inadequate child care and disease. As
growth slows down, brain development lags and stunted
children learn poorly. Stunting rates among children are
highest in Africa and Asia. In Eastern Africa 37% were
affected as of 2016 and 34% in Southern Asia
Fact 3: About 1.5 million children die annually due to
wasting
Wasting and bilateral oedema are severe forms of
malnutrition - resulting from acute food shortages and
compounded by illness. Rising food prices, food scarcity
in areas of conflict, and natural disasters diminish
household access to appropriate and adequate food, all of
which can lead to wasting. Wasting demands emergency
nutritional interventions to save lives.
Fact 4: Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are still
prevalent worldwide
Essential vitamins and minerals in the diet are vital to
boost immunity and healthy development. Vitamin A, zinc,
iron and iodine deficiencies are primary public health
concerns. Globally, about 33% of women of reproductive
age, and 42% of children 6-59 months of age are
anaemic, with up to one-half considered to be amenable
to iron supplementation. Vitamin A deficiency affects 29%
of children 6-59 months of age in low- and middle-income
countries and is a risk factor for blindness and for mortality
from measles and diarrhoea. Progress has been made in
reducing iodine deficiency globally and it was estimated
that the populations of only 25 countries had inadequate
iodine intakes in 2015 (down from 110 countries in 1993).
Related links
 D. Spitz
Fact 5: Undernutrition during pregnancy creates risks
Maternal undernutrition, common in many low- and
middle-income countries, leads to poor fetal development
and higher risk of pregnancy complications. Together,
maternal and child undernutrition account for more than
10 percent of the global burden of disease.
Related links
 WHO/J. Holmes
Fact 6: Increased breastfeeding could prevent 823 000
deaths in children under 5 years
WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six
months, introducing age-appropriate and safe
complementary foods at six months, and continuing
breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond. Appropriate
feeding decreases rates of stunting and obesity and
stimulates intellectual development in young children.
Breastfeeding prevents breast and ovarian cancer in
mothers.
Related links
 WHO/A. Sarup
Fact 7: Nutrition is critical for adolescent girls to
avoid anaemia
Nutritional problems in adolescents start during childhood
and continue into adult life. Anaemia is a key nutritional
problem in adolescent girls. Preventing early pregnancies
and assuring adequate intakes of essential nutrients for
developing girls can reduce maternal and child deaths
later, and stop cycles of malnutrition from one generation
to the next. Globally, anaemia affects 40% of pregnant
women.
Related links
 WHO/B. Chandra
Fact 8: About 41 million children under age five are
overweight*
The rise in overweight and obesity worldwide is a major
public health challenge. People of all ages and
backgrounds face this form of malnutrition. As a
consequence, rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease
and other diet-related conditions are escalating worldwide.
These are very difficult to treat in places with limited
resources and with already overburdened health systems.
*According to 2016 figures.
Related links
 WHO/V. Gupta-Smith
Fact 9: Nutrition information is key to spot areas
where assistance is most needed
WHO released international child growth standards that
provide benchmarks to compare children's nutritional
status within and across countries and regions. Also, a
nutrition landscape information system, developed by
WHO and partners, provides country profiles on key
nutrition indicators and affecting factors such as food,
health and care.
Related links
 WHO/V. Gupta-Smith
Fact 10: Policy and intervention efforts are underway
to save lives
Science has moved forward, and evidenced-based
actions that will improve nutritional health - particularly for
the most vulnerable - are known. In response, WHO and
partners are working together to provide scientific advice
to countries, as well as user-friendly, web-based tools.
Related links
What are the consequences of malnutrition?
Malnutrition affects people in every country. Around 1.9 billion adults worldwide are overweight, while 462 million are
underweight. An estimated 41 million children under the age of 5 years are overweight or obese, while some 159 million are
stunted and 50 million are wasted. Adding to this burden are the 528 million or 29% of women of reproductive age around the
world affected by anaemia, for which approximately half would be amenable to iron supplementation.

Many families cannot afford or access enough nutritious foods like fresh fruit and vegetables, legumes, meat and milk, while foods
and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt are cheaper and more readily available, leading to a rapid rise in the number of children and
adults who are overweight and obese, in poor as well as rich countries. It is quite common to find undernutrition and overweight
within the same community, household or even individual – it is possible to be both overweight and micronutrient deficient, for
example.

What is being done to address malnutrition?

In April 2016, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition
from 2016 to 2025. The Decade aims to catalyse policy commitments that result in measurable action to address all forms of
malnutrition. The aim is to ensure all people have access to healthier and more sustainable diets to eradicate all forms of
malnutrition worldwide.

More information on nutrition

Q&A: Malnutrition and emergencies
Infographics: Double burden of malnutrition
WHO's work on nutrition