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Undernutrition in children causes direct structural damage to the brain and impairs infant motor development and exploratory behavior. [14] Children who are undernourished before age two and gain weight quickly later in childhood and in adolescence are at high risk of chronic diseases related to nutrition. [14]
Stunted growth, also known as stunting or linear growth failure, is defined as impaired growth and development manifested by low height-for-age. [1] It is a manifestation of malnutrition (undernutrition) and can be caused by endogenous factors (such as chronic food insecurity) or exogenous factors (such as parasitic infection).
For example, in children under two years of age, iron deficiency anemia is likely to affect brain function acutely, and probably also chronically. Similarly, folate deficiency has been linked to neural tube defects. [73] Iodine deficiency is "the most common preventable cause of mental impairment worldwide."
In rich countries, therefore, obesity is often a sign of poverty and malnutrition while in poorer countries obesity is more associated with wealth and good nutrition. Other non-nutritional causes for obesity included: sleep deprivation, stress, lack of exercise, and heredity. Acute overeating can also be a symptom of an eating disorder.
Causes of this poor nutrition include energy-insufficient diets, poor sanitation conditions, and the gender disparities in educational and social status. [2] Girls and women face discrimination especially in nutrition status, where South Asia is the only region in the world where girls are more likely to be underweight than boys. [2]
Failure to thrive (FTT), also known as weight faltering or faltering growth, indicates insufficient weight gain or absence of appropriate physical growth in children. [2] [3] FTT is usually defined in terms of weight, and can be evaluated either by a low weight for the child's age, or by a low rate of increase in the weight.
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All children with weight less than 80% of the median weight of children with the same height in the reference population, and/or suffering from oedema, are classified as GAM. [1] The World Health Organization describes Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) as GAM in the 79% - 70% range, and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) as GAM below 70%.