Context:
A recent Vellore-based child nutrition study has highlighted that Indian children may face both undernutrition and overweight risks early in life. The findings suggest that public health strategies designed mainly to fight undernutrition need to also address rising obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases.
Explanation:
- Malnutrition includes both undernutrition and overnutrition, making it a broad public health challenge.
- According to WHO, undernutrition includes wasting, stunting, underweight and deficiencies of essential vitamins and minerals.
- Overnutrition includes overweight, obesity and diet-related risks that increase chances of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
- India faces a double burden of malnutrition, where undernourishment and obesity can coexist within the same population, community or household.
- NFHS-6 findings indicate that child nutrition indicators have improved compared to earlier surveys, but uneven progress and regional variation continue.
- The study highlights that thinness and obesity may begin during school age, especially between seven and nine years.
- Poor diet quality, ultra-processed foods, sugary drinks, low physical activity and poverty-linked food choices contribute to this nutritional transition.
- Public health programmes such as ICDS, Mid-Day Meal/PM POSHAN, PDS and POSHAN Abhiyaan need to address both calorie deficiency and unhealthy excess calories.
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