The Multiple Burdens of Malnutrition

Abstract

disease in the developing world was undernutrition – stunting, underweight, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies. However, in recent decades there has been a shift in the burden of malnutrition.1 Although undernutrition continues to persist in many lowand middle-income countries,2,3 rates of overweight and obesity are on the rise, particularly among women.4 Between 1975 and 2014, the global prevalence of underweight in women decreased from 14.6% to 9.7%, whereas the obesity prevalence increased from 6.4% to 14.9% over the same period – and the same pattern was found in men.1 Alongside these increases in overweight and obesity, there have been marked increases in the global prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.5,6 The global prevalence of diabetes increased among women from 5% in 1974 to 7.9% in 2014; an appalling 422 million people worldwide now have diabetes.1