What is undernutrition?
Paul Tronchon, agricultural engineer, formerly of the AP-HP (Public Assistance - Hospitals of Paris), president of Saveurs et vie.
© Sayouba Traoré / RFI
By: Sayouba Traoré
3 min
In fact, there are two situations: malnutrition and undernutrition, which can result from a situation of malnutrition.
For malnutrition, it's very simple: we do not have enough food.
Regarding undernutrition, it is a pathological condition that occurs when nutritional intake is insufficient, compared to the body's energy expenditure.
Publicity
Malnutrition in the world affects 821 million people.
140 million children suffer from malnutrition.
45% of deaths of children under 5 are due to malnutrition, which represents 3.1 million children.
Undernutrition is an evil that has long remained invisible, and is classified in the
nutritional slump
section
of the
international classification of diseases
.
In France alone, 30 to 70% of the elderly are undernourished in retirement homes.
This affects around 2 million people.
Stéphanie Roux, health nutrition project manager at Saveurs et vie.
© Sayouba Traoré / RFI
Developing countries are characterized by widespread poverty due to low economic resources or an inequitable distribution of wealth in society.
The double burden of malnutrition followed by undernutrition could explain the age pyramid and the low level of life expectancy in these countries.
A problem that will have to be faced.
And the sooner the better.
Guests:
- Stéphanie Roux, health nutrition project manager at Saveurs et vie.
-
Paul Tronchon
, agricultural engineer, formerly of the AP-HP (Public Assistance - Hospitals of Paris), president of Saveurs et vie.
The delivery service at Saveurs et vie.
© Sayouba Traoré / RFI
Production: Sayouba Traoré
Director: Ewa Piedel
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