Double Burden of Malnutrition (DBM)

Coexistence of under nutrition and over nutrition need to be approached by multiple perspectives. Double burden of malnutrition occur at all levels: individual, household and population level. Biological, environmental and social factors are important drivers in the global burden of malnutrition throughout the life of an individual. Early life undernutrition may cause communicable diseases or overweight in the later life. A comprehensive action is required to address the malnutrition in all its forms.

Read here: //apps.who.int/nutrition/double-burden-malnutrition/en/

As per WHO, double burden of malnutrition is “the coexistence of undernutrition along with overweight and obesity, or diet-related noncommunicable diseases, within individuals, households and populations, and across the lifecourse” (1). This paper (2) discusses the double burden of malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries. The paper highlights that poorest income quartile countries have the severe levels of double burden of malnutrition. Changes in global food system is accelerating increase in overweight as less nutritious food is becoming more accessible. Interventions to improve the diet quality are required to address the double burden of malnutrition.

References

1. //apps.who.int/nutrition/double-burden-malnutrition/en/
2. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7179702/