Poor diet kills in every country in the world

Chronic malnutrition, stunting, nutrient deficiency, thinness, overweight or obesity: Food-related health problems affect all countries of the world in one form or another. A universal scourge, malnutrition affects the rich and the poor, men and women, at all ages of life. "It is one of the leading risk factors for illness and death, weighing heavier than air pollution or smoking," said Jessica Fanzo, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University and lead author of the report on nutrition. 2018, made public on Thursday.

This extensive study conducted every year since 2014 compiles, country by country, all known statistical data on malnutrition in order to raise awareness and guide public policies. "All over the world, the burden of malnutrition remains high and progress is slow," the experts write, denouncing "an unacceptable situation".

Those under 5 years very affected

As a result, most countries seem unlikely to meet the targets set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition by 2025. six (stunting, anemia, underweight, overweight, badfeeding and wasting). Only 94 out of 194 countries are on track to achieve at least one of these goals. No country is on the right track for adult obesity and anemia. None have made progress toward achieving the six targets.

Despite some progress, the general observation is bleak. Children under five still suffer from multiple forms of malnutrition: 150 million of them are stunted (a declining number, except in Africa), 50 million are emaciated and 38 million overweight. Rates vary considerably by region, and even within countries. 20 million babies are born each year underweight. In parallel, overweight and obesity have reached a record level, approaching 40%. Women are more affected than men.

»VIDEO – 30% of the world's obese population

Improve diets

To combat this scourge, experts suggest "urgent attention to improved diets". Because the data collected show that "the population is eating poorly". And that starts very early: exclusive badfeeding is only for 41% of infants, and infant formula sales are increasing rapidly, suggesting a significant change in the diet of infants and young children. Between 6 and 23 months, less than one in five children are fed according to the criteria of a minimum acceptable diet.

Bad eating habits are universal, according to experts. Regardless of their level of wealth, school-aged children, adolescents and adults eat too much refined grains and sugary foods and drinks, and not enough healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. An badysis of more than 23,000 packaged food products shows that 69% of them are of relatively poor nutritional quality, with the proportion being higher in low- and middle-income countries.

There are ways to do this, say the researchers, citing sugar beverage taxes as examples, as well as policies to improve the composition of products. In this fight, a special effort should be made on adolescents, an age where nutrient requirements are increasing.

In France, the situation is described as "stagnant or deteriorated" on several WHO objectives: anemia in women of reproductive age, obesity in adults, and male diabetes. And researchers regret that our country does not collect enough data – especially with regard to children's diets.