Malnutrition
Topic: Human Capital: Education, Health and Demographic Dividend · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Malnutrition means eating too little, too much or the wrong balance of nutrients. It has three forms:
- undernutrition: stunting, wasting and underweight;
- micronutrient deficiency: a lack of iron, vitamin A, iodine and other vitamins and minerals;
- overweight and obesity.
It matters for human capital because poor nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life (from conception to age 2) harms brain development. That weakens schooling and lowers earnings for life.
Example
NFHS-5 (2019-21) found 35.5% of Indian children under 5 stunted and 67% of children aged 6–59 months anaemic. The survey also found adult overweight rising, at about a quarter of women.
Don't confuse with
- Hunger or undernutrition: this is only one part of malnutrition. An overweight person can also be malnourished.