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Obesity is often presented as a Western problem and malnutrition is typical of the poorest countries
but the reality is much more complex. Nine out of ten countries are trapped in a health epidemic known as the "double burden" : this means that overweight and undernourished people live side by side.
The unprecedented availability of food products, unsanitary conditions, office jobs, the expansion of transportation and the use of television are some of the causes.
Often, this double burden appears only in the same community but also within the same family
Even can happen to the same person . Sometimes you can be overweight but lack essential nutrients.
There is also the phenomenon "thin fat", when people seem to have a healthy weight but actually possess large amounts of hidden fat.
Obese Children
In fact all the countries of the world are struggling with nutrition problems of some kind.
The number of people suffering from chronic food deprivation reached 815 million in 2016. This represents an increase of 5% in two years.
Great. part of the increase was recorded in Africa, where 20% of people are undernourished.
In parallel, the rate of obesity has tripled over the last 40 years. More than 600 million adults are obese in the world and 1,900 million are overweight.
The rate of obesity in developing countries reaches the developed countries or.
Obesity in children is found in Micronesia, the Middle East and the Caribbean. And since 2000, the number of obese children in Africa has doubled.
In many countries, children have a diet that does not meet their needs .
In South Africa, nearly one in three children is overweight or obese, while another third is underweight
In Brazil, 36% of girls are overweight. Overweight or obese, while 16% weigh too little.
More money to spend
This double burden of obesity and malnutrition is partly altered by lifestyle.
Many middle and lower income countries, such as India and Brazil, have a new middle clbad with more money.
This means that many people reject their traditional foods and that they now ingest a lot of Western products high in sugars, fats and meat,
In some countries this has This has also been the case when rural dwellers move to the city, where the diversity of food is much greater.
For example, a study on young children in China found that 10%, while the rate of malnutrition was 21%. In cities, 17% of children were obese, while 14% were malnourished.
Although the diet of many people is more caloric, contains very few vitamins and minerals.
Professor Ranjan Yajnik, Diabetes Specialist in Pune, India, said the change in diet had a major effect on children.
"Diabetes is generally considered a disease that older and more obese people". says "But in India, we see it among younger people with a lower body mbad index ."
According to Professor Yajnik, Indians consume fewer and fewer nutrient-rich foods and get more calories. junk food. "Many people who look thin actually have large amounts of hidden fat."
Hidden or visceral fat accumulates around internal organs, including the liver. Elevated levels of visceral fat may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease even if the wearer does not appear to be overweight.
Fight against hunger
Children are particularly vulnerable to unhealthy diets because they need vitamins and minerals to develop and develop normally.
In some families there may be malnourished children and obese parents because despite the same diet, children need many more vitamins.
Malnourished children are also more likely to be overweight when they grow up, as their metabolism slows down and their body clings to fat stores.
This means that countries must ensure that policies to fight hunger do not accidentally increase
In Chile, a national program to provide food rations to pregnant women and children under 5 years of age Six years old was launched in 1920.
Although this has improved the problem of hunger, it is believed to be long-term. which contributed to the rapid increase in childhood obesity rates .
It's not enough to have access to healthy foods. Plus, there are not two people or cultures who see nutrition the same way.
Our choice of food is influenced by many factors. For example, cost, local availability, a good knowledge of what is a healthy diet and that of people around us.
And the nutritional needs of each person are different. It depends in part on your metabolism and your health.
But this double burden of obesity and malnutrition can be very dangerous.
Children who grow up malnourished tend to have less and less at school and have worse works later.
And childhood obesity harms health in adulthood and increases the risk of diseases such as cancer.
Progress Increasing Gradually
In developing countries, it is likely that problems such as diabetes and heart disease are skyrocketing as obesity rates increase.
What can be done? South America, where many countries suffer from this double burden, shows the way.
Brazil was the first country to join the United Nations Decade of Action for Nutrition.
Among the pledges taken ] r increase the consumption of sugary drinks by 30% and the consumption of fruits and vegetables by 18% to put an end to the increase in obesity.
Its objective is to achieve it through policies such as microcredit for farmers, reduce taxes on certain fresh foods and inform children of the importance of nutrition
Mexico has was the first country to apply a "sugar tax" of 10% on beverages. artificially softened in 2014.
This tax is expected to reduce obesity rates by 12.5% in 12 years.
But much more needs to be done to end this global nutrition crisis.
This piece of badysis was commissioned by the BBC with experts working for an outside organization.
Dr. Sophie Hawkesworth works in the population health team of the Wellcome Biomedical Research Association and Dr. Lindsay Keir is in the Department of Science. Clinics and Physiological Wellcome.
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