Malnutrition is a condition in which the body does not receive the required nutrients in the right amount for proper growth and functioning. It occurs when a person eats too little, eats unhealthy food, or is unable to absorb nutrients due to illness. Malnutrition is a serious health problem, especially among children, pregnant women, and elderly people. Broad groups of malnutrition Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients. The term malnutrition addresses 3 broad groups of conditions: undernutrition, which includes wasting (low weight-for-height), stunting (low height-for-age) and underweight (low weight-for-age); micronutrient-related malnutrition, which includes micronutrient deficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals) or micronutrient excess; and overweight, obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers). Undernutition There are 4 broad sub-forms of undernutrition: wasting, stunting, underweight, and deficiencies in vitamins and minerals. Low weight-for-height is known as wasting. It usually indicates recent and severe weight loss because a person has not had enough food to eat and/or they have had an infectious disease, such as diarrhoea, which has caused them to lose weight. A young child who is moderately or severely wasted has an increased risk of death, but treatment is possible. Low height-for-age is known as stunting. It is the result of chronic or recurrent undernutrition, usually associated with poor socioeconomic conditions, poor maternal health and nutrition, frequent illness, and/or inappropriate infant and young child feeding and care in early life. Stunting holds children back from reaching their physical and cognitive potential. Children with low weight-for-age are known as underweight. A child who is underweight may be stunted, wasted or both. Micronutrient-related malnutrition - Inadequacies in intake of vitamins and minerals often referred to as micronutrients. Micronutrients enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances that are essential for proper growth and development. Iodine, vitamin A, and iron are the most important in global public health terms; their deficiency represents a major threat to the health and development of populations worldwide, particularly children and pregnant women in low-income countries. Undernutrition makes children in particular much more vulnerable to disease and death. It leads to problems like stunted growth, low body weight, weakness, frequent illness, poor concentration, and delayed physical and mental development in children. Overweight and obesity Overweight and obesity is when a person is too heavy for his or her height. Abnormal or excessive fat accumulation can impair health. Body mass index (BMI) is an index of weight-for-height commonly used to classify overweight and obesity. It is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of his/her height in meters (kg/m²). In adults, overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 or more, whereas obesity is a BMI of 30 or more. Among children and adolescents, BMI thresholds for overweight and obesity vary by age. Overweight and obesity result from an imbalance between energy consumed (too much) and energy expended (too little). Globally, people are consuming foods and drinks that are more energy-dense (high in sugars and fats) and engaging in less physical activity. Overnutrition occurs when a person consumes excessive amounts of unhealthy or high-calorie food, leading to obesity and lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Factors contributing to malnutrition Nutrition goes beyond mere eating of food; it requires proper digestion, absorption, and metabolism which are influenced by factors like sanitation, education and access to safe drinking water. Malnutrition thus is multidimensional food, health, water, sanitation and education. Malnutrition is caused by many factors including poverty, lack of access to nutritious food, poor eating habits, lack of nutritional awareness, poor sanitation, unsafe drinking water, repeated infections, and improper feeding practices in infants and young children. Social factors such as unemployment, illiteracy, and gender inequality also contribute to malnutrition. Undernutrition affects every stage of life, but its most severe consequences often occur during the first 1000 days, spanning from conception to the child's second birthday. The onset of underweight and stunting typically begins early, within these first two years, when proper and sufficient feeding is crucial and children are susceptible to frequent infections, especially diarrhoea. The effects of malnutrition are long-term and harmful. It weakens the immune system, reduces learning ability, lowers productivity, and increases the risk of diseases and death. In children, malnutrition can cause permanent physical and mental damage if not treated early. Malnuttion in India The registered under 5 aged children on Poshan Tracker application, Ministry of Women & Child Development, (as of October 2025), who were measured on growth parameters of height and weight, 33% of them have been found to be stunted, 14% have been found to be underweight and 5% wasted. 67.1% of children and 59.1% of adolescent girls in India are anemic (NFHS-5). 3 in 4 Indian women have low dietary iron intake. By integrating maternal and child health with adolescent nutrition and school-based outreach, India is actively disrupting the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. Under the umbrella Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0) the challenge of malnutrition is being addressed. Sources World Health Organisation - Fact sheet on Malnutrition