undernourished

Undernourished refers to a state in which a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients is insufficient to meet basic bodily needs. It can affect people of all ages but is most evident among children, pregnant and lactating women, and older adults in settings with limited food access. Undernourishment can manifest as wasting (low weight for height), stunting (short stature for age), or being underweight (low weight for age). It also includes micronutrient deficiencies, such as iron, vitamin A, iodine, and other nutrients that can occur even when overall weight is not severely affected.

Global patterns show that undernourishment is most common in low- and middle-income countries, with higher risk in areas affected by poverty, food insecurity, conflict, displacement, and poor sanitation. Environmental factors, including climate-related shocks and disease, exacerbate risk and make recovery more difficult. Vulnerable groups include young children, especially in the first 1,000 days of life, as well as pregnant women and the elderly.

Causes are multifactorial, including insufficient access to adequate and diverse foods, recurrent infections, poor maternal nutrition, and inadequate health services. Indicators used to monitor undernourishment include population-level measures of inadequate caloric intake, child wasting and stunting, and low body mass index in adults. Management focuses on emergency treatment for severe acute malnutrition, micronutrient supplementation and fortification, and long-term prevention through improved food systems, nutrition education, healthcare access, and sanitation.