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At least one in three children under the age of five in the world suffers from malnutrition or overweight, according to a new UNICEF report that sounds the alarm signal for the poor diets that children receive.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warns that millions of children are eating too little of the food they need and too much of those they don't need.

The result, according to UNICEF, is that many of them are at risk of poor brain development, learning problems, immunization and suffering more infections and diseases.

"Millions of children survive on unhealthy diets because they have no better option," explains the executive director of that UN agency, Henrietta Fore.

According to UNICEF, it is necessary to change the way people think and respond to malnutrition: "it is not just about children eating enough, it is mostly about giving them the right food."

The report describes a triple aspect of malnutrition: malnourished children, invisible hunger caused by the lack of essential nutrients and overweight.

According to UNICEF data, 149 million children under 5 years of age worldwide are too low for their age as a result of poor diet, while 50 million are too thin.

Contrary to the usual perception, those children who are too thin, a problem that in its most severe forms can be lethal, are concentrated in Asia and not in countries with emergency situations such as those found in several Africans.

In addition, 340 million - one in two children in that age range - suffer deficiencies in vitamins and essential nutrients such as vitamin A or iron. Meanwhile, 40 million suffer from overweight or obesity, a problem that has exploded in recent years.

The problems, as described in the report, begin from the first months of life, since only two out of five babies under six months feed exclusively on breast milk, as recommended by specialists. The use of infant formula for breastfeeding has increased significantly in recent years, with a growth of 41% globally between 2008 and 2013 and shooting 72% in middle-high income countries, such as Brazil, China or Turkey

In the next stage, from 6 months to two years, 44% of children do not receive fruits or vegetables and 59% do not eat eggs, dairy products, fish or meat, Unicef ​​reports. In the case of school-age children, the report warns about the abuse of ultraprocessed foods, soft drinks and fast food.

As an example, he points out that 42% of teenagers who go to school in low and middle income countries consume carbonated beverages filled with sugar at least once a day.

LESS RESOURCES, WORST FEEDING

UNICEF points to responsible for inappropriate advertising and the ease with which these products are accessed, not only in cities, but also in remote areas.

In addition, families with fewer resources tend to feed their children with lower quality food, the cost of which is lower and lower, in contrast to rising prices for healthy products. As an example, in a highly developed country, such as the United Kingdom, the overweight rate doubles in the poorest areas compared to the richest.

To combat child malnutrition in the world, UNICEF recommends working in food education , using measures such as sugar taxes, encouraging producers to offer more healthy meals or improving labeling, among other actions. "We are losing ground in the fight for healthy diets," Fore warned, stressing that governments, the private sector and civil society must come together to achieve results.

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