"Alarming" malnutrition is affecting the planet

"Alarming" malnutrition affects poor countries as rich countries. It is also an "unacceptable" weight on the planet, according to an international report released Thursday.

While hunger has risen again in the world for more than two years, "the situation is alarming": "whether countries are rich or poor, they experience some form of malnutrition", stunting, deficiency micronutrients, rickets, overweight, or obesity, "said Corinna Hawkes, director of the University of London's Nutrition Policy Center.

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The annual report, entitled "Global nutrition report", reviews all international data covering nearly 200 countries. These data come from FAO (the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization), the World Food Program (WFP), UNICEF, the World Health Organization, but also NGOs , foundations and universities.

A total of 141 countries combine at least three forms of malnutrition – stunting for children, anemia and / or overweight for women – including 41 at a very high level, the report says. He is particularly worried to see "large refugee populations in the Middle East combine stunting, rickets, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity", particularly in Lebanon.

Increase in the consumption of sugary drinks

Experts are particularly concerned about the strong increase (+ 54.9%) of industrial infant formula sales registered between 2005 and 2017 worldwide, saying that "a significant (and unprecedented) change in the diet of babies and young children is going 'in the world.

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The report highlights the role of the food industry and excess salt, sugar and fat in processed foods. 59% of children drink sodas daily in Latin America and the Caribbean, 52% in Africa, 44% in Oceania and 40% in Asia.

Noting that 59 countries have sugar beverage taxes, the report calls on each government to set its nutrition priorities. He urges them to allocate resources to better quantify and understand the problems that coexist within the same population.

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Mexico, which has introduced a tax, saw its soft drinks sales drop by 10 percent, Corinna Hawkes said. "When countries take action, there are real results," she added.