The Double Burden of Malnutrition: Case Studies from Six Developing Countries

This Food and Agriculture Organization publication assesses the extent of the "double burden" of malnutrition in six developing countries – China, Egypt, India, Mexico, the Philippines and South Africa. The "double burden" of malnutrition refers to under- and over- nutrition occurring simultaneously within a population. The paper summarises trends in dietary changes and accompanying changes in nutritional status over the past 20 years, and identifies programmes currently in place or needed to prevent and manage nutritional problems. The study finds that: in India and the Philippines there is a high prevalence of under-nutrition in both children and adults; in South Africa, obesity is more of a problem for adults than being underweight; and in China, Egypt and Mexico the prevalence of overweight people is high and rapidly increasing.